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transnational cooperation
... The evaluation project
“Evaluation of CIP EQUAL Transnational Cooperation Principle” commissioned
by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic (MoLSA)
took place in the period from April to October 2008 in the territory
of the Czech Republic and ten European Union (EU) countries, to be specific,
in Austria, in Germany, in Poland, in Slovakia, in the Netherlands,
in the United Kingdom, in Portugal, in Spain, in Italy and in France.
The individual evaluation steps, i.e. analysis of documents, questionnaire
survey, evaluation visits and interviews, case studies, focus groups,
SWOT and process analysis took place in accordance with the stipulated
time schedule. The evaluation output was in total six reports (including
this Final Report), which, in accordance with the stipulated time schedule
and the contract, answered the individual evaluation tasks and questions. ...
... ) and brings recommendations directed at the
individual recipients of the outputs of this evaluation and the target
groups (Chapter 7). In this report, the evaluation methodology is introduced
in details, including description of the particular tools (Chapter 3.4),
namely on the basis of an analysis of global and partial evaluation
objectives, thus the objectives covering wider evaluation context and
its particular steps (Chapters 3.1- 3.3). As we have structured the Final
Report differently from the original tender documentation in the sense
that we have used the above-mentioned combination of three views (observations
according to the methods, findings according to the topics, recommendations
according to the target groups), we mention an outline of the results
of the evaluation according to the original points of the assignment
by the contracting authority in Chapter 6. A highly valuable annex to
this report is a summary of all the contacts and documents the twelve-member
international team has gathered and used for the evaluation of the transnational
cooperation (TC) principle of the Community Initiative Programme EQUAL
(CIP EQUAL). We mention this annex above all because we presume further
utilisation of these contacts and documents by the contracting authority’s
representatives and also by the other evaluators. ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL differed from the main forms of the aid from the European Social
Fund (ESF) in the past periods, among others, by the transnational cooperation
principle. During the 2007–2013 programming period, within the framework
of the ESF programmes, also the chosen principles of the Community Initiative
EQUAL are supported in cross-sectional way for the very first time.
To be specific, besides the partnership and innovativeness principles,
the transnational cooperation principle is concerned; the experience
from CIP EQUAL is transposed into the Human Resources and Employment
Operational Programme (OP LZZ), in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the form of priority axes, to be specific, these are
Priority axis 5a Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority
axis 5b Transnational Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment).
It is assumed that fulfilment of the transnational cooperation principle
will enable to achieve still better results of the individual projects
than those that would be able to be achieved without its application.
Thus the sense of the evaluation of the transnational cooperation principle
CIP EQUAL was, among others, to contribute to the improved quality of
the results of the 2007-2013 programming period. ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL differed from the main forms of the aid from the European Social
Fund (ESF) in the past periods, among others, by the transnational cooperation
principle. During the 2007–2013 programming period, within the framework
of the ESF programmes, also the chosen principles of the Community Initiative
EQUAL are supported in cross-sectional way for the very first time.
To be specific, besides the partnership and innovativeness principles,
the transnational cooperation principle is concerned; the experience
from CIP EQUAL is transposed into the Human Resources and Employment
Operational Programme (OP LZZ), in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the form of priority axes, to be specific, these are
Priority axis 5a Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority
axis 5b Transnational Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment).
It is assumed that fulfilment of the transnational cooperation principle
will enable to achieve still better results of the individual projects
than those that would be able to be achieved without its application.
Thus the sense of the evaluation of the transnational cooperation principle
CIP EQUAL was, among others, to contribute to the improved quality of
the results of the 2007-2013 programming period. ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL differed from the main forms of the aid from the European Social
Fund (ESF) in the past periods, among others, by the transnational cooperation
principle. During the 2007–2013 programming period, within the framework
of the ESF programmes, also the chosen principles of the Community Initiative
EQUAL are supported in cross-sectional way for the very first time.
To be specific, besides the partnership and innovativeness principles,
the transnational cooperation principle is concerned; the experience
from CIP EQUAL is transposed into the Human Resources and Employment
Operational Programme (OP LZZ), in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the form of priority axes, to be specific, these are
Priority axis 5a Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority
axis 5b Transnational Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment).
It is assumed that fulfilment of the transnational cooperation principle
will enable to achieve still better results of the individual projects
than those that would be able to be achieved without its application.
Thus the sense of the evaluation of the transnational cooperation principle
CIP EQUAL was, among others, to contribute to the improved quality of
the results of the 2007-2013 programming period. ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL differed from the main forms of the aid from the European Social
Fund (ESF) in the past periods, among others, by the transnational cooperation
principle. During the 2007–2013 programming period, within the framework
of the ESF programmes, also the chosen principles of the Community Initiative
EQUAL are supported in cross-sectional way for the very first time.
To be specific, besides the partnership and innovativeness principles,
the transnational cooperation principle is concerned; the experience
from CIP EQUAL is transposed into the Human Resources and Employment
Operational Programme (OP LZZ), in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the form of priority axes, to be specific, these are
Priority axis 5a Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority
axis 5b Transnational Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment).
It is assumed that fulfilment of the transnational cooperation principle
will enable to achieve still better results of the individual projects
than those that would be able to be achieved without its application.
Thus the sense of the evaluation of the transnational cooperation principle
CIP EQUAL was, among others, to contribute to the improved quality of
the results of the 2007-2013 programming period. ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL differed from the main forms of the aid from the European Social
Fund (ESF) in the past periods, among others, by the transnational cooperation
principle. During the 2007–2013 programming period, within the framework
of the ESF programmes, also the chosen principles of the Community Initiative
EQUAL are supported in cross-sectional way for the very first time.
To be specific, besides the partnership and innovativeness principles,
the transnational cooperation principle is concerned; the experience
from CIP EQUAL is transposed into the Human Resources and Employment
Operational Programme (OP LZZ), in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the form of priority axes, to be specific, these are
Priority axis 5a Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority
axis 5b Transnational Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment).
It is assumed that fulfilment of the transnational cooperation principle
will enable to achieve still better results of the individual projects
than those that would be able to be achieved without its application.
Thus the sense of the evaluation of the transnational cooperation principle
CIP EQUAL was, among others, to contribute to the improved quality of
the results of the 2007-2013 programming period. ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL differed from the main forms of the aid from the European Social
Fund (ESF) in the past periods, among others, by the transnational cooperation
principle. During the 2007–2013 programming period, within the framework
of the ESF programmes, also the chosen principles of the Community Initiative
EQUAL are supported in cross-sectional way for the very first time.
To be specific, besides the partnership and innovativeness principles,
the transnational cooperation principle is concerned; the experience
from CIP EQUAL is transposed into the Human Resources and Employment
Operational Programme (OP LZZ), in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the form of priority axes, to be specific, these are
Priority axis 5a Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority
axis 5b Transnational Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment).
It is assumed that fulfilment of the transnational cooperation principle
will enable to achieve still better results of the individual projects
than those that would be able to be achieved without its application.
Thus the sense of the evaluation of the transnational cooperation principle
CIP EQUAL was, among others, to contribute to the improved quality of
the results of the 2007-2013 programming period. ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL differed from the main forms of the aid from the European Social
Fund (ESF) in the past periods, among others, by the transnational cooperation
principle. During the 2007–2013 programming period, within the framework
of the ESF programmes, also the chosen principles of the Community Initiative
EQUAL are supported in cross-sectional way for the very first time.
To be specific, besides the partnership and innovativeness principles,
the transnational cooperation principle is concerned; the experience
from CIP EQUAL is transposed into the Human Resources and Employment
Operational Programme (OP LZZ), in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the form of priority axes, to be specific, these are
Priority axis 5a Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority
axis 5b Transnational Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment).
It is assumed that fulfilment of the transnational cooperation principle
will enable to achieve still better results of the individual projects
than those that would be able to be achieved without its application.
Thus the sense of the evaluation of the transnational cooperation principle
CIP EQUAL was, among others, to contribute to the improved quality of
the results of the 2007-2013 programming period. ...
... Transnational cooperation ...
... “The transnational
cooperation was the most effective part of EQUAL at all.”(1)
...
... “At the beginning
we did not suspect at all, what the transnational cooperation was in
general, what was it good for, what we could expect from it and what
was expected from us.” ...
... This citation and the following mentioned citations come out from the coordinators of the transnational cooperation (as the case may be of the whole project) of the individual partnership organisations in the Czech Republic. ...
... “The transnational
cooperation helped us to go back over some of our traditional services;
for instance, the experience made by our Spanish partner gave us the
idea to look critically to gender stereotypes on kids’ care where
only women are traditionally considered suitable to this activity. We
re-focused our services, which are now provided both to men and women.” ...
... “We wish we had linked
up (more closely) our transnational cooperation activities with the
public policies promoted at the local level. This would have allowed
us to achieve some tangible results from the TC component.” ...
... The
transnational cooperation was an obligatory part of the Community Initiative
Programme EQUAL and a number of the participating organisations would
not have included it in their projects on their own. However, the evaluation
has proved that the participating bodies in absolute majority have gradually
begun to perceive it as a component part of the programme and often,
in spite of the initial disbelief and low expectations, they evaluate
it as a very valuable and unexpectedly rewarding
part. In a wide scale of particular results and outputs it is possible
to find a common denominator: it is widening of the views, or in general
“the experience“, widening of the context of thinking, perception,
attitudes, behaviour, solutions etc. ...
... The most significant
factors influencing efficiency and success of the transnational cooperation
seem to be, according to the evaluation, compliance, as the case
may be sharing the project objectives among partners, selection
of a partner and partially the innovation rate of a
particular project. Above all, thanks to this fact the preparatory
and the initial stages of the project, which consequently have the
principal impact on the whole implementation, seem to be as essential
for the success of the transnational partnership. In this respect, also
the cooperation with the managing authority and the quality of its support
is mentioned as the key factors, too. ...
... The transnational cooperation
creates a new dimension of the programme contributions; it exceeds the
individual level of learning and search for innovations where not only
an individual learns but the whole organisation and when the innovations
are not searched for in a geographically limited area. In addition to
that, the European dimension has brought the projects the knowledge
that the problems are not, as a rule, limited to particular institutions
or geographical territories, that they are common under certain conditions
and mainly that they are jointly understood and solved at the European
level. Through this practical level, the cognition of the appurtenance
to the EU and understanding of the essence of the European convergence
occur then. ...
... All of it – the better
an the worse – clashed in various extent and various proportions within
the framework of the transnational cooperation within the framework
of the evaluated projects, and it is possible to state with certainty
that it was very inspiring and that the international partnership within
the CIP EQUAL framework was appreciated as high in the Czech Republic
as in the other participating European countries. ...
... In the first phases of preparation
of the transnational partnership some organisations were little orientated,
they did not get the necessary information in time, they did not make
use of the whole time of the preparatory phase for good selection of
partners, negotiating of the framework objectives and formulating of
the basic theses of the development partnership (DP) and consequently
of detailed obligations formulated in the Transnational Cooperation
Agreement (TCA). At the beginning some organisations even did not pay
the necessary attention to this matter, the transnational cooperation
was an obligatory component part of the project and thus for a part
of the projects only a “necessary supplement” of the project itself,
implemented with the partners within the framework of the national state.
Some implementing entities acknowledged this openly; it was obvious
from the context at some others. ...
... In the first phases of preparation
of the transnational partnership some organisations were little orientated,
they did not get the necessary information in time, they did not make
use of the whole time of the preparatory phase for good selection of
partners, negotiating of the framework objectives and formulating of
the basic theses of the development partnership (DP) and consequently
of detailed obligations formulated in the Transnational Cooperation
Agreement (TCA). At the beginning some organisations even did not pay
the necessary attention to this matter, the transnational cooperation
was an obligatory component part of the project and thus for a part
of the projects only a “necessary supplement” of the project itself,
implemented with the partners within the framework of the national state.
Some implementing entities acknowledged this openly; it was obvious
from the context at some others. ...
... Some implementing entities
chose the solution, according to which the guarantor of the transnational
cooperation was one of the national partners, as a rule “specialised”
in such activity. Only a smaller part of the organisations had already
experience with a similar partnership with a foreign body. The managing
authority and the support structure did not provide sufficiently efficient
assistance at that time. ...
... The evaluation within the
framework of the projects was limited to self-evaluation and questionnaires
distributed at work meetings. Only a small part of DPs let an evaluation
of the transnational cooperation drawn up (independently or within the
framework of a larger whole, e.g. of the project or TCA). Reflection
of these tools and the ability to use them for management and implementation
of the transnational cooperation in the project were negligible. ...
... The evaluation within the
framework of the projects was limited to self-evaluation and questionnaires
distributed at work meetings. Only a small part of DPs let an evaluation
of the transnational cooperation drawn up (independently or within the
framework of a larger whole, e.g. of the project or TCA). Reflection
of these tools and the ability to use them for management and implementation
of the transnational cooperation in the project were negligible. ...
... Great part of the transnational
partnership was implemented in “blocks”, the apex of which was always
a joint meeting of a working group or only of an organisational team.
Considerable part of the work in these blocks was carried out through
e-mail exchange of documents in process. It was easy to classify the
projects according to the groups participating in the international
meetings – from managerial, research and creative groups (creating
particular products, tools) to the projects focused of the “middle
staff”, and in some cases also the target groups. The way of work
and other related characteristics of the transnational cooperation differed
thus a lot. Mutual compatibility of the individual national programmes
was not a subject-matter of criticism; problems appeared from time to
time due to unequal language knowledge. ...
... The project’s closure is
a highly administratively demanding operation, which is, de facto, a
separate phase requiring considerable drive – as a rule after factual
termination of the transnational cooperation. Sometimes a problem is
caused by the fact that not all partners close their projects at the
same time and thus at the close of the project weakening of the transnational
activities of those partners occurs, who have already finished their
projects. The conditions for the project’s closure and detailed instructions
were not, as a rule, handed over to the organisations sufficiently in
advance. ...
... As regards sustainability
of the transnational cooperation, the organisations as a rule do not
have own capacities and background that would enable to maintain and
develop the created products and contacts. ...
... Even in cases where the approach
to the transnational partnership was more or less formal and remained
limited to several partial tools (for example to working groups), this
approach has changed within the framework of the implementation thanks
to the dynamics it was bringing. At the same time it has shown up that
a whole number of “types” of partnerships exists associated with
the partners’ expectations. Where these expectations had not been
clarified mutually well, the cooperation remained more or less formal,
for the substantial modifications were not then attainable realistically
within the framework of the project already in progress (mutual agreement
and then the approval process by more national managing authorities).
Various types of expected cooperation may be identified according to
the basic theses and expectations formulated at the preparation of the
Development Partnership Agreement (DPA), further according to the chosen
tools of the transnational cooperation and also according to the way
how the local partners are engaged in the transnational cooperation. ...
... Even in cases where the approach
to the transnational partnership was more or less formal and remained
limited to several partial tools (for example to working groups), this
approach has changed within the framework of the implementation thanks
to the dynamics it was bringing. At the same time it has shown up that
a whole number of “types” of partnerships exists associated with
the partners’ expectations. Where these expectations had not been
clarified mutually well, the cooperation remained more or less formal,
for the substantial modifications were not then attainable realistically
within the framework of the project already in progress (mutual agreement
and then the approval process by more national managing authorities).
Various types of expected cooperation may be identified according to
the basic theses and expectations formulated at the preparation of the
Development Partnership Agreement (DPA), further according to the chosen
tools of the transnational cooperation and also according to the way
how the local partners are engaged in the transnational cooperation. ...
... Role of the partners specialised
in management of the transnational cooperation has shown up as disputable.
In some cases this cooperation proceeded without any problems, sometimes
the problems have occurred – but almost always this type of cooperation
tended towards personal unions – a particular person ensuring the
transnational cooperation was often employed with both bodies – both
with the grant recipient and with the partner ensuring the transnational
cooperation. ...
... Role of the partners specialised
in management of the transnational cooperation has shown up as disputable.
In some cases this cooperation proceeded without any problems, sometimes
the problems have occurred – but almost always this type of cooperation
tended towards personal unions – a particular person ensuring the
transnational cooperation was often employed with both bodies – both
with the grant recipient and with the partner ensuring the transnational
cooperation. ...
... Role of the partners specialised
in management of the transnational cooperation has shown up as disputable.
In some cases this cooperation proceeded without any problems, sometimes
the problems have occurred – but almost always this type of cooperation
tended towards personal unions – a particular person ensuring the
transnational cooperation was often employed with both bodies – both
with the grant recipient and with the partner ensuring the transnational
cooperation. ...
... Czech organisations acceded,
as a rule, during the search for partners to the groups that had already
been forming and in the first stage of the project implementation they
behaved, with some exceptions, relatively passively. A reflection of
the type “we have had a lucky hand in selection of the partners”
often appears. Thus it may be assumed that if they were in different
situation (selection of the partners was not too lucky), they rather
did not talk about problematic aspects of the transnational cooperation
at all. ...
... The transnational cooperation
becomes complicated due to the language barrier, namely in several aspects.
There are states distinguishing with common knowledge of English (northern
countries but also Germany), others where the language knowledge complies
approximately to the status in the Czech Republic, in some countries
the knowledge of English is very low or these countries prefer their
national language for communication within the framework of the transnational
cooperation (the countries of the south). Interpreting is a significant
brake for the transnational cooperation within the programmes of this
type; however, it is necessary to differentiate, which participating
groups are concerned. The Czech participant ensured, as a rule, that
his representatives and his national partners’ representatives were
communicative for common contact and for research and development of
products. As regards the target group of the middle staff participating
in special cognitive and training events, then interpreting is a common
phenomenon. ...
... The transnational cooperation
becomes complicated due to the language barrier, namely in several aspects.
There are states distinguishing with common knowledge of English (northern
countries but also Germany), others where the language knowledge complies
approximately to the status in the Czech Republic, in some countries
the knowledge of English is very low or these countries prefer their
national language for communication within the framework of the transnational
cooperation (the countries of the south). Interpreting is a significant
brake for the transnational cooperation within the programmes of this
type; however, it is necessary to differentiate, which participating
groups are concerned. The Czech participant ensured, as a rule, that
his representatives and his national partners’ representatives were
communicative for common contact and for research and development of
products. As regards the target group of the middle staff participating
in special cognitive and training events, then interpreting is a common
phenomenon. ...
... The transnational cooperation
becomes complicated due to the language barrier, namely in several aspects.
There are states distinguishing with common knowledge of English (northern
countries but also Germany), others where the language knowledge complies
approximately to the status in the Czech Republic, in some countries
the knowledge of English is very low or these countries prefer their
national language for communication within the framework of the transnational
cooperation (the countries of the south). Interpreting is a significant
brake for the transnational cooperation within the programmes of this
type; however, it is necessary to differentiate, which participating
groups are concerned. The Czech participant ensured, as a rule, that
his representatives and his national partners’ representatives were
communicative for common contact and for research and development of
products. As regards the target group of the middle staff participating
in special cognitive and training events, then interpreting is a common
phenomenon. ...
... Using of monitoring and evaluation
of the transnational cooperation seems as very general - it is bound
to quantified outputs (number of meetings, participation, realization
of the planned events, etc.), namely in the international aspect –
not specifically in the Czech environment. Thus they serve mainly for
the identification whether the programme proceeds according to the planned
structure. But it does not provide almost any other data that would
be evaluated systematically. ...
... Since the beginning it should
be also clear among the transnational partners what forms of cooperation
are essential and how the national partners will be engaged in the transnational
cooperation, namely also in case when their share in the given activities
is ensured by financing through the grant recipient. Selection of the
national partner, who takes over the role of the guarantor for the transnational
cooperation, should always be reasoned very well. ...
... Since the beginning it should
be also clear among the transnational partners what forms of cooperation
are essential and how the national partners will be engaged in the transnational
cooperation, namely also in case when their share in the given activities
is ensured by financing through the grant recipient. Selection of the
national partner, who takes over the role of the guarantor for the transnational
cooperation, should always be reasoned very well. ...
... A number of recommendations
for the stage of selection of partners results from the project implementation.
Accession to a partnership, which is managed as a whole by one strong
partner (and moreover already continues in Actions 2 and 3), may be
beneficial where the given organisation is not orientated and searches
for a “helping hand” in the transnational cooperation. However,
other types of organisations look rather for creative partners for team
work, in which the contributions of all the engaged bodies will be valorised.
Such partnerships are then managed in the rotary way as a rule. Within
the framework of the project preparation and selection of partners it
is thus suitable to formulate one’s expectations regarding the cooperation
very precisely and to adjust to it the character of cooperation, types
of partners and also the countries and regions the partners operate
in. ...
... From the part of the managing
authority a possibility should exist, after the introductory (get-acquainted)
stage of the transnational cooperation and its assessment, to carry
out modifications in the project in standard way – as a natural reaction
to the constellation created that could not have been the subject matter
of the plan and contractual provisions before the beginning of the project. ...
... Different rules of eligibility
of costs were not perceived as a principal obstacle of implementation
of the transnational partnership activities, rather a different financial
background of the implementing organisations is concerned. Inasmuch
as the transnational cooperation is, in an ideal case, an integral part
of the project, it seems as suitable to search for possibilities of
lump-sum financing of some types of costs related to the transnational
cooperation. ...
... Different rules of eligibility
of costs were not perceived as a principal obstacle of implementation
of the transnational partnership activities, rather a different financial
background of the implementing organisations is concerned. Inasmuch
as the transnational cooperation is, in an ideal case, an integral part
of the project, it seems as suitable to search for possibilities of
lump-sum financing of some types of costs related to the transnational
cooperation. ...
... Evaluation of the CIP
EQUAL transnational cooperation principle was conducted within the framework
of the whole programme, its objectives and context of national and European
policies. The mentioned wider framework is outlined in this chapter;
the following chapter explains then how the evaluation was interconnected
with this wider context in particular. The Community Initiative EQUAL
is one of the four Community initiatives, which were co-financed from
the structural funds in the 2000–2006 programming period. The Community
Initiative EQUAL co-financed from the ESF is one of the tools to achieve
the objectives of the European Employment Strategy (EES). ...
... The Community Initiative
EQUAL is implemented in the whole territory of all Member States and
differs from the main forms of aid from the ESF (operational programmes
for Objective 1 and programme documents for Objective 3) due to inclusion
of innovativeness and transnational cooperation. ...
... CIP EQUAL supports the
transnational cooperation in development and promotion of new tools
of fight against all forms of discriminations and inequalities in the
labour market in the whole EU territory. The objective of the Initiative
is thus to develop and promote the tools to support the members of disadvantaged
groups (long-term unemployed, low-qualified, school graduates, older
citizens, disabled persons, ethnical minorities, women, asylum seekers
and the like), who encounter discrimination or unequal treatment either
directly at work or when searching for it. One of the thematic areas
of the Community Initiative EQUAL is focused on the issues of social
inclusion and career opportunities of the asylum seekers. ...
... Condition for participation
in the CIP EQUAL CZ Programme was, accordingly with the other Member
Countries, creation of national development partnerships on the basis
of DPA and of the partnership for transnational cooperation on the basis
of TCA. According to the conditions of participation according to Chapter
2.1 of the Instructions for Applicants, an applicant could be a legal
person with a registered office in the Czech Republic representing DPA;
the conditions mentioned in the Instructions for Applicants related
to the partners, too. The projects had to have a non-profit character.
The project implementation was divided into three actions – Action
1 with the period of duration from one to five months, Actions 2 and
3 with simultaneous course in duration of 24–36 months. The Instructions
for Applicants specified eligibility of expenses and other terms and
conditions for the project budget. The grant amount for the individual
applicants was not specified; however, the condition was that it had
to correspond to the costs of the project activities. ...
... EQUAL strategic areas and transnational cooperation ...
... The starting point of
the transnational cooperation was the announcement of common thematic
areas for all EU states. Each thematic area had specific target groups
and conditions for formation of development partnerships. The CIP EQUAL
thematic areas come out from the original four pillars of the EES. The
following thematic priorities are concerned: ...
... CIP EQUAL was implemented
in the whole EU territory, namely both in the developed and undeveloped
areas; also in the Czech Republic CIP EQUAL was implemented in the whole
territory. The transnational cooperation has showed up as possible and
beneficial. ...
... Implementation of the
principles of transnational cooperation, transnational and national
partnership, stress on innovativeness, on development of new tools and
know-how transfer – well-tried practice both in transnational and
national measure – bring a significant contribution to social development
and, in particular then to human resources development. ...
... In the 2007–2013 period
it will be possible to apply in the Czech Republic advices from the
CIP EQUAL implementation in all forms of transnational cooperation based
on the partnership principles, in operational programmes and in other
Community initiatives. ...
... CIP EQUAL is an independent
form of aid from the structural funds that supports development and
promotion of new approaches to solving of inequalities and discrimination
at work and access to employment. Its sense is to supplement other programmes
contributing to achieving the objectives of EES and to serve as an innovative
laboratory for development and promotion of new tools, while those that
will prove useful will be supported further within the framework of
the main forms of aid from the ESF during the following programming
period. CIP EQUAL differed from the main forms of aid from the ESF in
the past periods among others by the principle of transnational cooperation.
Thus in the course of the 2007–2013 programming period also selected
CIP EQUAL principles will be supported within the framework of the
ESF programmes on cross-sectoral basis for the very first time.
To be specific, the principles of innovativeness and transnational
cooperation are concerned besides the partnership principle. It
was decided on cross-sectoral
support of these principles together with the EU Member States and the
European Commission representatives on the basis of the experience with
the CIP EQUAL implementation in individual EU Member States, therefore
among others the documents, on which this decision was based, were used
for preparation of the evaluation strategy. ...
... transnational
cooperation ...
... OP LZZ, in which the transnational cooperation ...
... To be specific, this
experience is transposed in OP LZZ, in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the
form of priority axes; Priority axis 5a
Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority axis 5b Transnational
Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment) are concerned.
The global objective of these two priority axes is intensification
of transnational cooperation
in the
area of human resources
development and employment,
the specific objective is then 1) to increase effectiveness of strategies
and policies in the area of human resources and employment and 2) development
of partnerships, pacts and initiatives in the area of human resources
and employment. ...
... To be specific, this
experience is transposed in OP LZZ, in which the transnational cooperation
is included in the
form of priority axes; Priority axis 5a
Transnational Cooperation (Convergence) and Priority axis 5b Transnational
Cooperation (Regional Competitiveness and Employment) are concerned.
The global objective of these two priority axes is intensification
of transnational cooperation
in the
area of human resources
development and employment,
the specific objective is then 1) to increase effectiveness of strategies
and policies in the area of human resources and employment and 2) development
of partnerships, pacts and initiatives in the area of human resources
and employment. ...
... intensification
of transnational cooperation ...
... The transnational
cooperation is appreciated above all for its potential: ...
... Within the framework
of OP LZZ, it is possible to fulfil the transnational cooperation principle
either at the level of separate projects directly based on the transnational
cooperation but also horizontally, thus the transnational cooperation
principle should apply in each of the OP LZZ financed projects if it
increases its effectiveness and quality. It is assumed that fulfilment
of the transnational cooperation principle will enable to achieve still
better results of individual projects than those that would be able
to be achieved without its application.
...
... Within the framework
of OP LZZ, it is possible to fulfil the transnational cooperation principle
either at the level of separate projects directly based on the transnational
cooperation but also horizontally, thus the transnational cooperation
principle should apply in each of the OP LZZ financed projects if it
increases its effectiveness and quality. It is assumed that fulfilment
of the transnational cooperation principle will enable to achieve still
better results of individual projects than those that would be able
to be achieved without its application.
...
... Within the framework
of OP LZZ, it is possible to fulfil the transnational cooperation principle
either at the level of separate projects directly based on the transnational
cooperation but also horizontally, thus the transnational cooperation
principle should apply in each of the OP LZZ financed projects if it
increases its effectiveness and quality. It is assumed that fulfilment
of the transnational cooperation principle will enable to achieve still
better results of individual projects than those that would be able
to be achieved without its application.
...
... It is assumed that fulfilment
of the transnational cooperation principle will enable to achieve still
better results of individual projects than those that would be able
to be achieved without its application. ...
... All these starting points
and all these assumptions were included in the strategy of evaluation
of the CIP EQUAL transnational cooperation principle. The evaluation
ranges within the framework defined in this way and follows up with
the outputs of the previous evaluations and Final Reports
(respective framework documents, reports and studies are mentioned in
the list of the sources used). With regard to the requirement of
follow-up and comparability of the CIP EQUAL evaluations, the standard
methodology of evaluation was used Navreme Boheme, s.r.o., uses
for other evaluations commissioned by the European Commission and that
is recommended to the CIP EQUAL evaluators. ...
... The partial evaluation
of the transnational cooperation principle is related to the general
objectives of the CIP EQUAL
evaluation stipulated by the
European Commission. We have numbered the
general objectives of the CIP EQUAL evaluation for we use the numbers
of the objectives afterwards for reference in the following text: ...
... We have identified the
following specific objectives for the evaluation of the CIP EQUAL
transnational cooperation principle, which we understand as a partial
one in this respect: ...
... To identify strengths and
weaknesses, potential and risks of the transnational cooperation; ...
... To analyse the wider context
of implementation of the transnational cooperation, to identify conditions,
under which it arises and develops optimally; ...
... To collect suggestions from
the part of technical and administrative support of the transnational
cooperation supported within the ESF framework; ...
... To identify conditions necessary
for realization of the transnational cooperation of the aid recipients
from the ESF from the part of technical and administrative support; ...
... To describe principles of
evaluation of the quality of the transnational cooperation, namely including
verification of tools for self-evaluation of the partnership and management
of the partnership networks; ...
... To formulate particular
practical recommendations for implementation of the transnational cooperation
for the DP members; ...
... To formulate concrete practical
recommendations for implementation of the transnational cooperation
for the individual levels of the CIP EQUAL implementation structure. ...
... Except for the last
objective that is directed directly at the implementation structures
in the Czech Republic, all the other objectives relate both to the
Czech and foreign reality. Thus the evaluation focused primarily
on the assessment of the impact of the transnational cooperation financed
from the Czech sources, but these findings were compared with the findings
from ten selected EU countries, for the majority of the phenomena
being explored has (minimum) European dimension. ...
... We have subjected the
findings based on exploration of the national sample to comparison with
the other EU countries and above all, we have carried out the whole
evaluation in European discourse. We have in mind by this discourse
the knowledge of the starting points of the relevant policies the phenomena
being explored come out from, the knowledge of the European environment,
actors and decision-making and communication principles, the knowledge
of the requirements for quality and evaluation methods in the European
environment (comprehension of the evaluation within the EU policies
context) and the knowledge of the principle of partnership and transnational
cooperation from the European programmes and their practical implementation
in the European projects (in which we have also participated or we have
evaluated them). Therefore Czech experts with international experience,
who cooperated with six foreign experts, were the core of the evaluation
team. ...
... For accomplishment of
the evaluation of the CIP EQUAL transnational cooperation principle
the following countries were selected: ...
... We have adjusted the
method of focus groups in this evaluation specifically to the needs;
therefore two focus groups were carried out with the representatives
of MA and NSS. The sense was to record the substantial experience with
the programme management towards the recommendations concerning the
2007–2013 programming period and further to support the findings of
the process analysis. Sets of questions for the individual groups
and a scenario of the group were created. Then the evaluators asked
questions and noted reactions and communications. Then the team of evaluators
processed these expressions and made conclusions. With regard to sensitiveness
of some expressions, it is not possible to publish these records. The
results from the focus groups are transposed into the findings and recommendations
in the Third Interim Report of the project Evaluation of CIP EQUAL Transnational
Cooperation Principle. ...
... A case study is a common
research tool in social sciences and an evaluation tool. A case study
is, in fact, a type of a research strategy because it works with the
context of the reality, it is not a purely qualitative analysis and
it combines the data analysis and qualitative elements of the research.
It is often supplemented with other research methods, which was the
case of this evaluation, too. The evaluation team worked with 35 studies
of development partnerships in CZ and with more than 20 foreign studies.
The studies were based on the analysis of documents, interviews, visits
and additional determination. The list of the case studies is mentioned
in Annex 8.7. The studies were processed in standard
way (structured descriptions of situations and processes elaborated
in writing) then an analysis of them and interpretation of the differences
and specifics was carried out. The precise structure of the case studies
is mentioned in Annex 8.8, it contains in general: description of the
situation (number of employees, competences, formation, powers, tradition),
description of processes, environment, identification of effective methods
of work, identification of barriers, solving conflicts, coherence with
the surrounding CIP EQUAL management systems, links to the CIP EQUAL
objectives, etc. The aim was to capture above all the well-established
ways of partnership formation and development, the areas of its added
value, thus the areas of solutions the transnational cooperation contributes
to. ...
... SWOT analysis was applied
in the evaluation at two levels: 1) as a supporting analytical method
in evaluation of results of the particular activities and 2) as a general
matrix of evaluation of potential, results and threats of the actually
implemented transnational cooperation within the framework of individual
DP from CZ and the selected EU countries. The SWOT analysis was also
used successfully for assessment of functioning of the transnational
partnership in different cultural environments, which are given by different
tradition, experience, social economical and political background. More
detailed information on this utilisation of the SWOT analysis is mentioned
in the chapter on concrete realization of the evaluation. ...
... The answers from the
questionnaires show that the most frequent source of inspiration, assistance
and information for preparation and implementation of the transnational
cooperation is the previous own experience. The experience of the partners
from abroad in combination with methodological instructions of the EC
and the assistance of the National Support Structure were mentioned
as the source of inspiration and support. ...
... The quality of the particular support provided
was high while this status has not been unchanging, but instead it is
indicative of rather positive development of the relations between NSS
and the recipients. To the planning of the project itself a question
is related, what influence the transnational cooperation has on the
length of the project, respectively if it requires higher time investment.
The original hypothesis was confirmed that there existed a certain influence
for sure, however, it should not be extreme - the respondents most frequently
concurred that the transnational cooperation extended the project by
one fifth of its length. When answering the question, which stages of
the transnational project require more time, the respondents mentioned
most frequently the very stage of preparation and then the overall coordination
of the transnational co-operation. If the respondents of the questionnaire
investigation mentioned that the teams implementing the transnational
partnership needed support, than it was above all in the area of search
for partners. ...
... The quality of the particular support provided
was high while this status has not been unchanging, but instead it is
indicative of rather positive development of the relations between NSS
and the recipients. To the planning of the project itself a question
is related, what influence the transnational cooperation has on the
length of the project, respectively if it requires higher time investment.
The original hypothesis was confirmed that there existed a certain influence
for sure, however, it should not be extreme - the respondents most frequently
concurred that the transnational cooperation extended the project by
one fifth of its length. When answering the question, which stages of
the transnational project require more time, the respondents mentioned
most frequently the very stage of preparation and then the overall coordination
of the transnational co-operation. If the respondents of the questionnaire
investigation mentioned that the teams implementing the transnational
partnership needed support, than it was above all in the area of search
for partners. ...
... According to the respondents,
transfer of experience and practices, organising seminars, conferences
and various other meetings belonged to most frequently implemented activities
within the framework of the transnational cooperation. These findings
were combined with the results of the inquiry for suitability of the
individual activities for the transnational cooperation, to be specific,
with the answers to the question: “Which activities are, in your opinion,
the most suitable for the transnational cooperation?” with the selection
possibility on the scale from 1 (not at all) to 6 (a lot). It is obvious
from the results that the most frequent activities, in particular the
transfer of practices and know-how and holding various expert events,
are not at the same time those having the highest credit from the point
of view of the managing structures. On the other hand, the mobility
of employees and supervisors was evaluated with high credit, its quality
was evaluated high by the interviewees, although it does not appear
to be a frequent activity. This is an example of an activity, which
was not frequent, but not for the reason that it had not been requested,
but rather for the reason that it was demanding, its character strengthened
rather the quality than the quantity of the performance and in some
cases, it had not been planned in advance and it was difficult to work
it in the plan in the course of the project. To the question, which
activities the project implementing entities did not implement but they
had wanted to implement, most often these more demanding activities
appeared, which at the same time received high credit of assessment
of the importance; in the following order: joint development of new
tools, joint experiments in the area of innovative approaches, joint
development of methods, joint research, joint recognition of qualifications,
short-term attachments, exchanges and study visits. Exactly the exchange
and study placements were evaluated by those, who had implemented them,
very positively. The respondents mentioned the lack of time and financial
means to be the most frequent cause of non-implementation of these activities.
The aspect of learning is considered to be indisputably the most beneficial
within the framework of the transnational cooperation, in less developed
countries learning (transfer) of something, which has already been applied
abroad, is more often concerned, in more developed countries joint progress
in knowledge and experience in the given area is more often concerned.
The team has achieved interesting findings by means of combination of
several graphs, namely the frequency of the most frequently implemented
activities, activities which weren’t carried out, the activities they
would strengthen next time and the activities they would reduce next
time. This simulation of an ideal state is carried out on the background
of comparison of CZ with the other countries, see the following graph. ...
... According to the respondents,
transfer of experience and practices, organising seminars, conferences
and various other meetings belonged to most frequently implemented activities
within the framework of the transnational cooperation. These findings
were combined with the results of the inquiry for suitability of the
individual activities for the transnational cooperation, to be specific,
with the answers to the question: “Which activities are, in your opinion,
the most suitable for the transnational cooperation?” with the selection
possibility on the scale from 1 (not at all) to 6 (a lot). It is obvious
from the results that the most frequent activities, in particular the
transfer of practices and know-how and holding various expert events,
are not at the same time those having the highest credit from the point
of view of the managing structures. On the other hand, the mobility
of employees and supervisors was evaluated with high credit, its quality
was evaluated high by the interviewees, although it does not appear
to be a frequent activity. This is an example of an activity, which
was not frequent, but not for the reason that it had not been requested,
but rather for the reason that it was demanding, its character strengthened
rather the quality than the quantity of the performance and in some
cases, it had not been planned in advance and it was difficult to work
it in the plan in the course of the project. To the question, which
activities the project implementing entities did not implement but they
had wanted to implement, most often these more demanding activities
appeared, which at the same time received high credit of assessment
of the importance; in the following order: joint development of new
tools, joint experiments in the area of innovative approaches, joint
development of methods, joint research, joint recognition of qualifications,
short-term attachments, exchanges and study visits. Exactly the exchange
and study placements were evaluated by those, who had implemented them,
very positively. The respondents mentioned the lack of time and financial
means to be the most frequent cause of non-implementation of these activities.
The aspect of learning is considered to be indisputably the most beneficial
within the framework of the transnational cooperation, in less developed
countries learning (transfer) of something, which has already been applied
abroad, is more often concerned, in more developed countries joint progress
in knowledge and experience in the given area is more often concerned.
The team has achieved interesting findings by means of combination of
several graphs, namely the frequency of the most frequently implemented
activities, activities which weren’t carried out, the activities they
would strengthen next time and the activities they would reduce next
time. This simulation of an ideal state is carried out on the background
of comparison of CZ with the other countries, see the following graph. ...
... According to the respondents,
transfer of experience and practices, organising seminars, conferences
and various other meetings belonged to most frequently implemented activities
within the framework of the transnational cooperation. These findings
were combined with the results of the inquiry for suitability of the
individual activities for the transnational cooperation, to be specific,
with the answers to the question: “Which activities are, in your opinion,
the most suitable for the transnational cooperation?” with the selection
possibility on the scale from 1 (not at all) to 6 (a lot). It is obvious
from the results that the most frequent activities, in particular the
transfer of practices and know-how and holding various expert events,
are not at the same time those having the highest credit from the point
of view of the managing structures. On the other hand, the mobility
of employees and supervisors was evaluated with high credit, its quality
was evaluated high by the interviewees, although it does not appear
to be a frequent activity. This is an example of an activity, which
was not frequent, but not for the reason that it had not been requested,
but rather for the reason that it was demanding, its character strengthened
rather the quality than the quantity of the performance and in some
cases, it had not been planned in advance and it was difficult to work
it in the plan in the course of the project. To the question, which
activities the project implementing entities did not implement but they
had wanted to implement, most often these more demanding activities
appeared, which at the same time received high credit of assessment
of the importance; in the following order: joint development of new
tools, joint experiments in the area of innovative approaches, joint
development of methods, joint research, joint recognition of qualifications,
short-term attachments, exchanges and study visits. Exactly the exchange
and study placements were evaluated by those, who had implemented them,
very positively. The respondents mentioned the lack of time and financial
means to be the most frequent cause of non-implementation of these activities.
The aspect of learning is considered to be indisputably the most beneficial
within the framework of the transnational cooperation, in less developed
countries learning (transfer) of something, which has already been applied
abroad, is more often concerned, in more developed countries joint progress
in knowledge and experience in the given area is more often concerned.
The team has achieved interesting findings by means of combination of
several graphs, namely the frequency of the most frequently implemented
activities, activities which weren’t carried out, the activities they
would strengthen next time and the activities they would reduce next
time. This simulation of an ideal state is carried out on the background
of comparison of CZ with the other countries, see the following graph. ...
... According to the respondents,
transfer of experience and practices, organising seminars, conferences
and various other meetings belonged to most frequently implemented activities
within the framework of the transnational cooperation. These findings
were combined with the results of the inquiry for suitability of the
individual activities for the transnational cooperation, to be specific,
with the answers to the question: “Which activities are, in your opinion,
the most suitable for the transnational cooperation?” with the selection
possibility on the scale from 1 (not at all) to 6 (a lot). It is obvious
from the results that the most frequent activities, in particular the
transfer of practices and know-how and holding various expert events,
are not at the same time those having the highest credit from the point
of view of the managing structures. On the other hand, the mobility
of employees and supervisors was evaluated with high credit, its quality
was evaluated high by the interviewees, although it does not appear
to be a frequent activity. This is an example of an activity, which
was not frequent, but not for the reason that it had not been requested,
but rather for the reason that it was demanding, its character strengthened
rather the quality than the quantity of the performance and in some
cases, it had not been planned in advance and it was difficult to work
it in the plan in the course of the project. To the question, which
activities the project implementing entities did not implement but they
had wanted to implement, most often these more demanding activities
appeared, which at the same time received high credit of assessment
of the importance; in the following order: joint development of new
tools, joint experiments in the area of innovative approaches, joint
development of methods, joint research, joint recognition of qualifications,
short-term attachments, exchanges and study visits. Exactly the exchange
and study placements were evaluated by those, who had implemented them,
very positively. The respondents mentioned the lack of time and financial
means to be the most frequent cause of non-implementation of these activities.
The aspect of learning is considered to be indisputably the most beneficial
within the framework of the transnational cooperation, in less developed
countries learning (transfer) of something, which has already been applied
abroad, is more often concerned, in more developed countries joint progress
in knowledge and experience in the given area is more often concerned.
The team has achieved interesting findings by means of combination of
several graphs, namely the frequency of the most frequently implemented
activities, activities which weren’t carried out, the activities they
would strengthen next time and the activities they would reduce next
time. This simulation of an ideal state is carried out on the background
of comparison of CZ with the other countries, see the following graph. ...
... As regards the estimation
of those, who profit of these benefits most, all respondents concur
in the opinion that the partners of the projects profit most in the
long-term perspective. In the opinion about the benefit for the users
of the products and services created, who should benefit from the transnational
cooperation in the CIP EQUAL projects potentially, too, the representatives
of the managing structures appear to be more sceptical than the project
implementing entities. ...
... The exact form of the
tools the team has used is obvious from the annexes, in which, among
others, a structure of notes of an interview and a visit, a case study
structure, a scenario of evaluation visits, a list of case studies and
a list of the persons, who gave an interview and who were visited, are
mentioned. The visits and interviews in the organisations took place
in the time, when the projects were close after the closure, as the
case may be their formal closure took place and the transnational cooperation
has been already closed in the overwhelming majority of cases. However,
in the majority of cases the project’s representatives were not yet
able to assess the transnational cooperation “from a distance”.
It was rather an exception if they were themselves able to take up a
more complex evaluating position. It was often difficult for them to
detach the aspect of the transnational cooperation from the content
(topic) itself of the project. On the other hand, if an interview proceeded
with a person, who was in charge of the transnational cooperation exclusively,
the ability to refer about the transnational cooperation independently
on the project topics was incomparably higher, however the ability of
the total evaluation of the transnational cooperation within the framework
of the project decreased in due proportion with it. ...
... The exact form of the
tools the team has used is obvious from the annexes, in which, among
others, a structure of notes of an interview and a visit, a case study
structure, a scenario of evaluation visits, a list of case studies and
a list of the persons, who gave an interview and who were visited, are
mentioned. The visits and interviews in the organisations took place
in the time, when the projects were close after the closure, as the
case may be their formal closure took place and the transnational cooperation
has been already closed in the overwhelming majority of cases. However,
in the majority of cases the project’s representatives were not yet
able to assess the transnational cooperation “from a distance”.
It was rather an exception if they were themselves able to take up a
more complex evaluating position. It was often difficult for them to
detach the aspect of the transnational cooperation from the content
(topic) itself of the project. On the other hand, if an interview proceeded
with a person, who was in charge of the transnational cooperation exclusively,
the ability to refer about the transnational cooperation independently
on the project topics was incomparably higher, however the ability of
the total evaluation of the transnational cooperation within the framework
of the project decreased in due proportion with it. ...
... The exact form of the
tools the team has used is obvious from the annexes, in which, among
others, a structure of notes of an interview and a visit, a case study
structure, a scenario of evaluation visits, a list of case studies and
a list of the persons, who gave an interview and who were visited, are
mentioned. The visits and interviews in the organisations took place
in the time, when the projects were close after the closure, as the
case may be their formal closure took place and the transnational cooperation
has been already closed in the overwhelming majority of cases. However,
in the majority of cases the project’s representatives were not yet
able to assess the transnational cooperation “from a distance”.
It was rather an exception if they were themselves able to take up a
more complex evaluating position. It was often difficult for them to
detach the aspect of the transnational cooperation from the content
(topic) itself of the project. On the other hand, if an interview proceeded
with a person, who was in charge of the transnational cooperation exclusively,
the ability to refer about the transnational cooperation independently
on the project topics was incomparably higher, however the ability of
the total evaluation of the transnational cooperation within the framework
of the project decreased in due proportion with it. ...
... The exact form of the
tools the team has used is obvious from the annexes, in which, among
others, a structure of notes of an interview and a visit, a case study
structure, a scenario of evaluation visits, a list of case studies and
a list of the persons, who gave an interview and who were visited, are
mentioned. The visits and interviews in the organisations took place
in the time, when the projects were close after the closure, as the
case may be their formal closure took place and the transnational cooperation
has been already closed in the overwhelming majority of cases. However,
in the majority of cases the project’s representatives were not yet
able to assess the transnational cooperation “from a distance”.
It was rather an exception if they were themselves able to take up a
more complex evaluating position. It was often difficult for them to
detach the aspect of the transnational cooperation from the content
(topic) itself of the project. On the other hand, if an interview proceeded
with a person, who was in charge of the transnational cooperation exclusively,
the ability to refer about the transnational cooperation independently
on the project topics was incomparably higher, however the ability of
the total evaluation of the transnational cooperation within the framework
of the project decreased in due proportion with it. ...
... The exact form of the
tools the team has used is obvious from the annexes, in which, among
others, a structure of notes of an interview and a visit, a case study
structure, a scenario of evaluation visits, a list of case studies and
a list of the persons, who gave an interview and who were visited, are
mentioned. The visits and interviews in the organisations took place
in the time, when the projects were close after the closure, as the
case may be their formal closure took place and the transnational cooperation
has been already closed in the overwhelming majority of cases. However,
in the majority of cases the project’s representatives were not yet
able to assess the transnational cooperation “from a distance”.
It was rather an exception if they were themselves able to take up a
more complex evaluating position. It was often difficult for them to
detach the aspect of the transnational cooperation from the content
(topic) itself of the project. On the other hand, if an interview proceeded
with a person, who was in charge of the transnational cooperation exclusively,
the ability to refer about the transnational cooperation independently
on the project topics was incomparably higher, however the ability of
the total evaluation of the transnational cooperation within the framework
of the project decreased in due proportion with it. ...
... The exact form of the
tools the team has used is obvious from the annexes, in which, among
others, a structure of notes of an interview and a visit, a case study
structure, a scenario of evaluation visits, a list of case studies and
a list of the persons, who gave an interview and who were visited, are
mentioned. The visits and interviews in the organisations took place
in the time, when the projects were close after the closure, as the
case may be their formal closure took place and the transnational cooperation
has been already closed in the overwhelming majority of cases. However,
in the majority of cases the project’s representatives were not yet
able to assess the transnational cooperation “from a distance”.
It was rather an exception if they were themselves able to take up a
more complex evaluating position. It was often difficult for them to
detach the aspect of the transnational cooperation from the content
(topic) itself of the project. On the other hand, if an interview proceeded
with a person, who was in charge of the transnational cooperation exclusively,
the ability to refer about the transnational cooperation independently
on the project topics was incomparably higher, however the ability of
the total evaluation of the transnational cooperation within the framework
of the project decreased in due proportion with it. ...
... The focus groups were
always designed so that they might balance the findings from the questionnaire
investigation and from the evaluation visits and interviews. Above all
the visits and interviews were conducted, with some exceptions (interviews
with the representatives of the European Commission and CIP EQUAL agencies
in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain and the
United Kingdom) with the representatives of the development partnerships
and the transnational cooperation coordinators. Thus the observations
mentioned in the previous chapter are based on this sample very clearly
and the very focus groups should bring another view of the matter. For
this reason two groups were suggested, one with the NSS representatives
and one with the MA representatives. A scenario was established for
each group, i.e. the questions that were asked during the discussion
and the sense of which was to observe how the transnational cooperation
management and implementation proceeded, how the monitoring and the evaluation
were used, what kind of support was provided to the implementing bodies.
A supplement to the focus groups was then the evaluation of processes,
in this case above all of the information and communication flows among
the mentioned bodies, i.e. the managing authority, PricewaterhouseCoopers
and representatives of the development partnerships. Moreover, this
picture of the flows becomes somewhat complicated by the fact that,
within the framework of the transnational cooperation, it is necessary
to negotiate also with the bodies outside the national field, thus with
the representatives of the foreign development partnerships and even
with the representatives of the foreign managing authorities (e.g. in
case of TCA modification) and ministries (e.g. in case of proposals
of international coordination of search for partners and gathering information
to the transnational cooperation). ...
... The focus groups were
always designed so that they might balance the findings from the questionnaire
investigation and from the evaluation visits and interviews. Above all
the visits and interviews were conducted, with some exceptions (interviews
with the representatives of the European Commission and CIP EQUAL agencies
in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain and the
United Kingdom) with the representatives of the development partnerships
and the transnational cooperation coordinators. Thus the observations
mentioned in the previous chapter are based on this sample very clearly
and the very focus groups should bring another view of the matter. For
this reason two groups were suggested, one with the NSS representatives
and one with the MA representatives. A scenario was established for
each group, i.e. the questions that were asked during the discussion
and the sense of which was to observe how the transnational cooperation
management and implementation proceeded, how the monitoring and the evaluation
were used, what kind of support was provided to the implementing bodies.
A supplement to the focus groups was then the evaluation of processes,
in this case above all of the information and communication flows among
the mentioned bodies, i.e. the managing authority, PricewaterhouseCoopers
and representatives of the development partnerships. Moreover, this
picture of the flows becomes somewhat complicated by the fact that,
within the framework of the transnational cooperation, it is necessary
to negotiate also with the bodies outside the national field, thus with
the representatives of the foreign development partnerships and even
with the representatives of the foreign managing authorities (e.g. in
case of TCA modification) and ministries (e.g. in case of proposals
of international coordination of search for partners and gathering information
to the transnational cooperation). ...
... The focus groups were
always designed so that they might balance the findings from the questionnaire
investigation and from the evaluation visits and interviews. Above all
the visits and interviews were conducted, with some exceptions (interviews
with the representatives of the European Commission and CIP EQUAL agencies
in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain and the
United Kingdom) with the representatives of the development partnerships
and the transnational cooperation coordinators. Thus the observations
mentioned in the previous chapter are based on this sample very clearly
and the very focus groups should bring another view of the matter. For
this reason two groups were suggested, one with the NSS representatives
and one with the MA representatives. A scenario was established for
each group, i.e. the questions that were asked during the discussion
and the sense of which was to observe how the transnational cooperation
management and implementation proceeded, how the monitoring and the evaluation
were used, what kind of support was provided to the implementing bodies.
A supplement to the focus groups was then the evaluation of processes,
in this case above all of the information and communication flows among
the mentioned bodies, i.e. the managing authority, PricewaterhouseCoopers
and representatives of the development partnerships. Moreover, this
picture of the flows becomes somewhat complicated by the fact that,
within the framework of the transnational cooperation, it is necessary
to negotiate also with the bodies outside the national field, thus with
the representatives of the foreign development partnerships and even
with the representatives of the foreign managing authorities (e.g. in
case of TCA modification) and ministries (e.g. in case of proposals
of international coordination of search for partners and gathering information
to the transnational cooperation). ...
... The focus groups were
always designed so that they might balance the findings from the questionnaire
investigation and from the evaluation visits and interviews. Above all
the visits and interviews were conducted, with some exceptions (interviews
with the representatives of the European Commission and CIP EQUAL agencies
in the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Spain and the
United Kingdom) with the representatives of the development partnerships
and the transnational cooperation coordinators. Thus the observations
mentioned in the previous chapter are based on this sample very clearly
and the very focus groups should bring another view of the matter. For
this reason two groups were suggested, one with the NSS representatives
and one with the MA representatives. A scenario was established for
each group, i.e. the questions that were asked during the discussion
and the sense of which was to observe how the transnational cooperation
management and implementation proceeded, how the monitoring and the evaluation
were used, what kind of support was provided to the implementing bodies.
A supplement to the focus groups was then the evaluation of processes,
in this case above all of the information and communication flows among
the mentioned bodies, i.e. the managing authority, PricewaterhouseCoopers
and representatives of the development partnerships. Moreover, this
picture of the flows becomes somewhat complicated by the fact that,
within the framework of the transnational cooperation, it is necessary
to negotiate also with the bodies outside the national field, thus with
the representatives of the foreign development partnerships and even
with the representatives of the foreign managing authorities (e.g. in
case of TCA modification) and ministries (e.g. in case of proposals
of international coordination of search for partners and gathering information
to the transnational cooperation). ...
... The focus groups monitored
mainly the issues of management and implementation of the transnational
cooperation priority axis that is based on the knowledge of the context,
in which the programme will be implemented, of the national and sectoral
strategies that define priorities for the orientation of projects and
activities and high-quality managing authority’s background. The managing
authority makes its decisions on the basis of the valid strategic documents
and follows the implementation itself by means of standard tools, to
which monitoring and evaluation belong. As regards the process of the
programme implementation itself, it may use systemic and national projects
or specialised agencies according to the possibilities given by the
setting of the given programme. Suitable and unsuitable management methods
do not exist obviously, what probably matters more are recommended aspects
of management, which are essential for successful implementation of
the programme; clearly defined objectives and rules, understandable
and willing communication with the given groups and system support (facilitation
of preparation and implementation of the partnership, central database
sources, methodical support) appear as most frequently mentioned. As
regards project preparation and implementation, the implementing entities’
requirements for the rules and calls say they should be above all understandable,
clear and unchanging till the process closure (except for the modifications
necessary for increasing the smoothness and quality of a programme).
The present monitoring system meets neither the needs of the programme
management nor those of the implementation of the projects. Monitoring
can serve, besides its own objectives, also for aggregation for certain
areas (the thematic or regional viewpoint suggests itself), programme
management (setting priorities) and it can also serve as a tool for
control, whether the same products do not come into existence in a parallel
manner or whether doubled financing of activities/outputs does not occur.
In the first stage, the setting of monitoring indicators is to be reviewed,
in the second phase it is then necessary to provide systemic support
to the above-mentioned services. Evaluation must be planned in such
a way that it could react to actual processes and events within the project,
thus it must be able to add the evaluation criteria and to relate to
the project currently. It is necessary to maintain the flexibility element
in the evaluation and at the same time it is necessary for the evaluation
to be detached from the monitoring system, if possible, it must not
be dependent on it in any case. At the transnational level, transnational
monitoring and evaluation activities may be considered, however, it
is necessary to clarify their meaning and objectives, mandate, responsibilities
and the system of their administration. ...
... Preparation of the transnational cooperation ...
... In the countries that
were included in the evaluation, various measures concerning facilitation
of the process of formation of the transnational partnerships were recommended
and somewhere also implemented. For example creation of a special measure
or a project at the programme management level (not at the project level)
was concerned. Or it was a recommendation of minimum extent of the partnership,
a recommendation which countries to focus on when searching for partners
(further to the national strategies) or which activities shall be strengthened
(it is generally recommended to limit generic activities that miss particular
content); somewhere this principle was transposed into formation of
a particular physical institution, the mission of which is to support
the transnational partnership in the projects in the given programme.
This fact was not reflected in the transnational cooperation preparation
stage from the Czech part and the Czech partners were not prepared for
it, somewhere they could have got in disadvantageous or unequal position
in some other way during formation of the partnership. ...
... The transnational cooperation
preparation should have proceeded in several phases but this did not
always succeed due to the time pressure. Within the framework of the
evaluation it has proved that the role of DPA was often underestimated,
sometimes even the precise TCA was prepared right away (DPA used completely
same formulations in the passages on partnership). Even in cases where
the approach to the transnational partnership was more or less formal
and remained limited to several partial tools (for example to working
groups), this approach has changed within the framework of the implementation
thanks to the dynamics it was bringing. At the same time it has shown
up that a whole number of “types” of partnerships exists associated
with the partners’ expectations. Where these expectations had not
been clarified mutually well, the cooperation remained more or less
formal, for the substantial modifications were not then attainable realistically
within the framework of the project already in progress (mutual agreement
and then the approval process by more national managing authorities).
Various types of expected cooperation may be identified according to
the basic theses and expectations formulated at the preparation of DPA,
further according to the selected tools of the transnational cooperation
and also according to the way how the local partners are engaged in
the transnational cooperation. ...
... The transnational cooperation
preparation should have proceeded in several phases but this did not
always succeed due to the time pressure. Within the framework of the
evaluation it has proved that the role of DPA was often underestimated,
sometimes even the precise TCA was prepared right away (DPA used completely
same formulations in the passages on partnership). Even in cases where
the approach to the transnational partnership was more or less formal
and remained limited to several partial tools (for example to working
groups), this approach has changed within the framework of the implementation
thanks to the dynamics it was bringing. At the same time it has shown
up that a whole number of “types” of partnerships exists associated
with the partners’ expectations. Where these expectations had not
been clarified mutually well, the cooperation remained more or less
formal, for the substantial modifications were not then attainable realistically
within the framework of the project already in progress (mutual agreement
and then the approval process by more national managing authorities).
Various types of expected cooperation may be identified according to
the basic theses and expectations formulated at the preparation of DPA,
further according to the selected tools of the transnational cooperation
and also according to the way how the local partners are engaged in
the transnational cooperation. ...
... The transnational cooperation
preparation should have proceeded in several phases but this did not
always succeed due to the time pressure. Within the framework of the
evaluation it has proved that the role of DPA was often underestimated,
sometimes even the precise TCA was prepared right away (DPA used completely
same formulations in the passages on partnership). Even in cases where
the approach to the transnational partnership was more or less formal
and remained limited to several partial tools (for example to working
groups), this approach has changed within the framework of the implementation
thanks to the dynamics it was bringing. At the same time it has shown
up that a whole number of “types” of partnerships exists associated
with the partners’ expectations. Where these expectations had not
been clarified mutually well, the cooperation remained more or less
formal, for the substantial modifications were not then attainable realistically
within the framework of the project already in progress (mutual agreement
and then the approval process by more national managing authorities).
Various types of expected cooperation may be identified according to
the basic theses and expectations formulated at the preparation of DPA,
further according to the selected tools of the transnational cooperation
and also according to the way how the local partners are engaged in
the transnational cooperation. ...
... Czech organisations
acceded, as a rule, during the search for partners to the groups that
had already been forming and in the first stage of the project implementation
they behaved, with some exceptions, relatively passively. A reflection
of the type “we have had a lucky hand in selection of the partners”
often appears. Thus it may be assumed that if they were in a different
situation (selection of the partners was not too lucky), they rather
did not talk about problematic aspects of the transnational cooperation
at all. ...
... As regards engagement
of the local partners in the transnational cooperation, both models
were used within the framework of the partnership preparation. Close
interconnection of the project topic with the transnational cooperation
may be evaluated positively, too, as the case may be both forms of the
transnational cooperation may have their positives, whether on the one
a project implemented with national partners, in which the transnational
cooperation plays one specific role, or on the other hand a project,
which is with its own core and in its focus transnational, is concerned.
However, within the framework of the interviews it did not always confirm
that the type of management corresponded to the type of the project. ...
... As regards engagement
of the local partners in the transnational cooperation, both models
were used within the framework of the partnership preparation. Close
interconnection of the project topic with the transnational cooperation
may be evaluated positively, too, as the case may be both forms of the
transnational cooperation may have their positives, whether on the one
a project implemented with national partners, in which the transnational
cooperation plays one specific role, or on the other hand a project,
which is with its own core and in its focus transnational, is concerned.
However, within the framework of the interviews it did not always confirm
that the type of management corresponded to the type of the project. ...
... As regards engagement
of the local partners in the transnational cooperation, both models
were used within the framework of the partnership preparation. Close
interconnection of the project topic with the transnational cooperation
may be evaluated positively, too, as the case may be both forms of the
transnational cooperation may have their positives, whether on the one
a project implemented with national partners, in which the transnational
cooperation plays one specific role, or on the other hand a project,
which is with its own core and in its focus transnational, is concerned.
However, within the framework of the interviews it did not always confirm
that the type of management corresponded to the type of the project. ...
... As regards engagement
of the local partners in the transnational cooperation, both models
were used within the framework of the partnership preparation. Close
interconnection of the project topic with the transnational cooperation
may be evaluated positively, too, as the case may be both forms of the
transnational cooperation may have their positives, whether on the one
a project implemented with national partners, in which the transnational
cooperation plays one specific role, or on the other hand a project,
which is with its own core and in its focus transnational, is concerned.
However, within the framework of the interviews it did not always confirm
that the type of management corresponded to the type of the project. ...
... Transnational cooperation administration and management ...
... Overall coordination
of the transnational cooperation ensues from the selected managerial
model: the transnational cooperation was either managed by one body
or (less often) rotary management was concerned. The most frequent managerial
model was bound to the partial results. At the beginning of the cooperation
it was defined who was responsible for which output or type of the output
and the designated partner managed/coordinated creation of the specified
output. As a rule, this model was applied to one of the above-mentioned
variants in a supplementary way. However, it often seems as if it had
prevailed and suppressed the general formalised management model. ...
... Overall coordination
of the transnational cooperation ensues from the selected managerial
model: the transnational cooperation was either managed by one body
or (less often) rotary management was concerned. The most frequent managerial
model was bound to the partial results. At the beginning of the cooperation
it was defined who was responsible for which output or type of the output
and the designated partner managed/coordinated creation of the specified
output. As a rule, this model was applied to one of the above-mentioned
variants in a supplementary way. However, it often seems as if it had
prevailed and suppressed the general formalised management model. ...
... As regards the participating
bodies, it appears that it is substantial in what way the given bodies
are engaged in the cooperation, not which legal or organisational form
is concerned. Both the projects managed by one strong body and the ones,
which were managed according to the rotary approach, proved to be effective
and successful, and in the same way the projects had significant outputs,
in which the transnational cooperation was concentrated on one or two
national partners, and also those, in which all the national partners
participated in the implementation of the transnational element of the
project. Problems are sometimes caused by the situation, when a different
body has the responsibility for the transnational partnership in the
given country than the recipient. In some cases this was highly effective,
however, it is necessary for the relations and communication between
these two bodies to be highly professional. This leads sometimes even
to personal unions (one person works half for the recipient and half
for the entity responsible for the transnational partnership). ...
... Experience of the managing
partner, clear objective well distinguished and communicated with the
other partners, clear roles and expectations belonged to the factors
of success in case of transnational cooperation management by one body.
As regards rotary management clearly identified individual stages and
their outputs, a well-functioning collective body consisting of the
national partners’ representatives, which can solve contingent disputes,
have become the most important factors. ...
... The national partners,
who were not recipients themselves and who are not involved in the coordination
and management of the cooperation more closely, perceive it often very
vaguely, as if they were concerned in the development partnership purely
from the content aspect and rather as an obligatory part of what was
substantial = the processes proceeding at the level of the national
partnership (and this is then de facto publicly presented in an international
context in the form of transnational cooperation). In this respect,
cooperation with the institutions, the employees of which cannot be
motivated from the project financially (typically Employment Bureaus)
appears as the most problematic. It is often not easy to find a person
in such institution, who would surmise at least that he/she partakes
in implementation of some project at the moment. As a rule, this is
a reflection of the fact that the organisations would like to involve
the institutional players in the game, but with the exception of some
unique cases, this is not realistic without a possibility to remunerate
them for their active involvement and their resolve and interest vanish
fast. ...
... From the viewpoint of
the staffing of the transnational cooperation on the part of the development
partnership, the personnel stability of the implementing organisation
is decisive; above all fluctuation on the positions related to the management
of the transnational cooperation may cause complications. This really
occurred in a number of projects. Further the stability and the extent
of involvement and cooperation of the partners in each of the countries
are essential. The point is whether the recipient or another designated
partner ensures the transnational element as one “particular” overlap
of the project in the given country or whether all partners or at least
more partners from the given country partake in the transnational cooperation.
Both may lead to good results, but the factors of success and failure
differ for both types of involvement of the local partners. If the one,
who ensures connection between the national and transnational level
is one particular body, then the factors of success are his good communication
and organisational ability and strong management, further it is then
the ability to mediate the inputs from the project’s partners in the
given country. In this case it seems that in general the most successful
are the partnerships where one particular person stands in the head
of the partnership (cases appear even sporadically when this person
is not from the organisation, which is the recipient), who performs not
only the role of a manager, but also the role of a leader, a drudge.
However, this is valid only in case, if he/she persists for the whole
project’s period because his/her contingent departure may be fatal
for the given partnership. If not only the recipient but more partners
from the given country participate in the transnational cooperation
actively, the factor of success is the ability of cooperation and division
of labour; the recipient’s role is then shifted into a coordination
role. ...
... From the viewpoint of
the staffing of the transnational cooperation on the part of the development
partnership, the personnel stability of the implementing organisation
is decisive; above all fluctuation on the positions related to the management
of the transnational cooperation may cause complications. This really
occurred in a number of projects. Further the stability and the extent
of involvement and cooperation of the partners in each of the countries
are essential. The point is whether the recipient or another designated
partner ensures the transnational element as one “particular” overlap
of the project in the given country or whether all partners or at least
more partners from the given country partake in the transnational cooperation.
Both may lead to good results, but the factors of success and failure
differ for both types of involvement of the local partners. If the one,
who ensures connection between the national and transnational level
is one particular body, then the factors of success are his good communication
and organisational ability and strong management, further it is then
the ability to mediate the inputs from the project’s partners in the
given country. In this case it seems that in general the most successful
are the partnerships where one particular person stands in the head
of the partnership (cases appear even sporadically when this person
is not from the organisation, which is the recipient), who performs not
only the role of a manager, but also the role of a leader, a drudge.
However, this is valid only in case, if he/she persists for the whole
project’s period because his/her contingent departure may be fatal
for the given partnership. If not only the recipient but more partners
from the given country participate in the transnational cooperation
actively, the factor of success is the ability of cooperation and division
of labour; the recipient’s role is then shifted into a coordination
role. ...
... From the viewpoint of
the staffing of the transnational cooperation on the part of the development
partnership, the personnel stability of the implementing organisation
is decisive; above all fluctuation on the positions related to the management
of the transnational cooperation may cause complications. This really
occurred in a number of projects. Further the stability and the extent
of involvement and cooperation of the partners in each of the countries
are essential. The point is whether the recipient or another designated
partner ensures the transnational element as one “particular” overlap
of the project in the given country or whether all partners or at least
more partners from the given country partake in the transnational cooperation.
Both may lead to good results, but the factors of success and failure
differ for both types of involvement of the local partners. If the one,
who ensures connection between the national and transnational level
is one particular body, then the factors of success are his good communication
and organisational ability and strong management, further it is then
the ability to mediate the inputs from the project’s partners in the
given country. In this case it seems that in general the most successful
are the partnerships where one particular person stands in the head
of the partnership (cases appear even sporadically when this person
is not from the organisation, which is the recipient), who performs not
only the role of a manager, but also the role of a leader, a drudge.
However, this is valid only in case, if he/she persists for the whole
project’s period because his/her contingent departure may be fatal
for the given partnership. If not only the recipient but more partners
from the given country participate in the transnational cooperation
actively, the factor of success is the ability of cooperation and division
of labour; the recipient’s role is then shifted into a coordination
role. ...
... From the viewpoint of
the staffing of the transnational cooperation on the part of the development
partnership, the personnel stability of the implementing organisation
is decisive; above all fluctuation on the positions related to the management
of the transnational cooperation may cause complications. This really
occurred in a number of projects. Further the stability and the extent
of involvement and cooperation of the partners in each of the countries
are essential. The point is whether the recipient or another designated
partner ensures the transnational element as one “particular” overlap
of the project in the given country or whether all partners or at least
more partners from the given country partake in the transnational cooperation.
Both may lead to good results, but the factors of success and failure
differ for both types of involvement of the local partners. If the one,
who ensures connection between the national and transnational level
is one particular body, then the factors of success are his good communication
and organisational ability and strong management, further it is then
the ability to mediate the inputs from the project’s partners in the
given country. In this case it seems that in general the most successful
are the partnerships where one particular person stands in the head
of the partnership (cases appear even sporadically when this person
is not from the organisation, which is the recipient), who performs not
only the role of a manager, but also the role of a leader, a drudge.
However, this is valid only in case, if he/she persists for the whole
project’s period because his/her contingent departure may be fatal
for the given partnership. If not only the recipient but more partners
from the given country participate in the transnational cooperation
actively, the factor of success is the ability of cooperation and division
of labour; the recipient’s role is then shifted into a coordination
role. ...
... In the self-evaluation
statements about the experience with management and implementation of
the transnational cooperation in the CIP EQUAL projects, the stress
on the administration of projects prevails. This represented such burden
and was so demanding that the majority of the interviewees agree that
at least one or two full-time jobs are necessary to be earmarked purely
for the administration. The participants of the evaluation recommend
earmarking one special person for the transnational cooperation itself.
If the transnational cooperation is really active, then its coordination
and work related to it will require one full-time job, too. We do not
mention this argumentation as a recommendation for increasing the funds
or warning against waste. But two realistic areas of problems result
from it: 1) at the persons, who are able to do this work, there is high
fluctuation rate, at the same time they are difficult to be substituted
– and this is then an actual threat for the project and can affect
it significantly negatively; 2) it is not manageable for the implementing
organisations to pay from the salary of a “coordinator”/“administrator”
of the development partnership their ordinary employees, who will manage
the transnational cooperation beyond the framework of their normal work
duties (also this finding was a reason for high fluctuation). ...
... In the self-evaluation
statements about the experience with management and implementation of
the transnational cooperation in the CIP EQUAL projects, the stress
on the administration of projects prevails. This represented such burden
and was so demanding that the majority of the interviewees agree that
at least one or two full-time jobs are necessary to be earmarked purely
for the administration. The participants of the evaluation recommend
earmarking one special person for the transnational cooperation itself.
If the transnational cooperation is really active, then its coordination
and work related to it will require one full-time job, too. We do not
mention this argumentation as a recommendation for increasing the funds
or warning against waste. But two realistic areas of problems result
from it: 1) at the persons, who are able to do this work, there is high
fluctuation rate, at the same time they are difficult to be substituted
– and this is then an actual threat for the project and can affect
it significantly negatively; 2) it is not manageable for the implementing
organisations to pay from the salary of a “coordinator”/“administrator”
of the development partnership their ordinary employees, who will manage
the transnational cooperation beyond the framework of their normal work
duties (also this finding was a reason for high fluctuation). ...
... In the self-evaluation
statements about the experience with management and implementation of
the transnational cooperation in the CIP EQUAL projects, the stress
on the administration of projects prevails. This represented such burden
and was so demanding that the majority of the interviewees agree that
at least one or two full-time jobs are necessary to be earmarked purely
for the administration. The participants of the evaluation recommend
earmarking one special person for the transnational cooperation itself.
If the transnational cooperation is really active, then its coordination
and work related to it will require one full-time job, too. We do not
mention this argumentation as a recommendation for increasing the funds
or warning against waste. But two realistic areas of problems result
from it: 1) at the persons, who are able to do this work, there is high
fluctuation rate, at the same time they are difficult to be substituted
– and this is then an actual threat for the project and can affect
it significantly negatively; 2) it is not manageable for the implementing
organisations to pay from the salary of a “coordinator”/“administrator”
of the development partnership their ordinary employees, who will manage
the transnational cooperation beyond the framework of their normal work
duties (also this finding was a reason for high fluctuation). ...
... In the self-evaluation
statements about the experience with management and implementation of
the transnational cooperation in the CIP EQUAL projects, the stress
on the administration of projects prevails. This represented such burden
and was so demanding that the majority of the interviewees agree that
at least one or two full-time jobs are necessary to be earmarked purely
for the administration. The participants of the evaluation recommend
earmarking one special person for the transnational cooperation itself.
If the transnational cooperation is really active, then its coordination
and work related to it will require one full-time job, too. We do not
mention this argumentation as a recommendation for increasing the funds
or warning against waste. But two realistic areas of problems result
from it: 1) at the persons, who are able to do this work, there is high
fluctuation rate, at the same time they are difficult to be substituted
– and this is then an actual threat for the project and can affect
it significantly negatively; 2) it is not manageable for the implementing
organisations to pay from the salary of a “coordinator”/“administrator”
of the development partnership their ordinary employees, who will manage
the transnational cooperation beyond the framework of their normal work
duties (also this finding was a reason for high fluctuation). ...
... The evaluation has shown
provably that high administrative burden may cause threat to the project,
namely not for the reason of high financial intensity, but for the reason
of strong dependence of the projects on particular implementing entities,
particular persons in the management of the project; this concerns also
the transnational cooperation. ...
... However, in general
there is, according the hitherto findings, a significant difference
in the required administrative procedures themselves. Some activities
are so difficult “to be planned well” that these sometimes are not
worthwhile for the Czech partners and they prefer not to implement them
or these activities are taken over by the foreign partners. Also some
specific expenses related to the transnational cooperation are problematic
(e.g. international phone calls and the like). Thus distortion of some
project’s expenses occurs and the organisation then tries to “compensate”
for such unclassified costs within the existing structure of costs in
a different way. Therefore neither in the interviews nor in the questionnaire
investigation the precise sums expended for the transnational cooperation
were required, but the estimations and relative expressions compared
to the original plan of the project budget. ...
... However, in general
there is, according the hitherto findings, a significant difference
in the required administrative procedures themselves. Some activities
are so difficult “to be planned well” that these sometimes are not
worthwhile for the Czech partners and they prefer not to implement them
or these activities are taken over by the foreign partners. Also some
specific expenses related to the transnational cooperation are problematic
(e.g. international phone calls and the like). Thus distortion of some
project’s expenses occurs and the organisation then tries to “compensate”
for such unclassified costs within the existing structure of costs in
a different way. Therefore neither in the interviews nor in the questionnaire
investigation the precise sums expended for the transnational cooperation
were required, but the estimations and relative expressions compared
to the original plan of the project budget. ...
... Transnational cooperation implementation: activities, outputs ...
... From the point of view
of the implementation, the most general contribution of the transnational
cooperation assessed by the implementing entities is “experience”“.
In spite of high evaluation of the sophisticated outputs and products,
the practical experience seems to be assessed, on a long-term basis,
as the principal contribution. A change in perception of connexions,
of what can be concerned as “normal”, and the like is concerned.
Further, it is the inspiration by particular procedures, approaches,
finding of models, stimuli. These “basal” added values may not be
underestimated. At the same time it does not mean in any case that the
participants would not be able to appreciate also other, sophisticated
outputs of the transnational partnership. ...
... The transnational cooperation
is understood as an integral part of the projects – either as an obligatory
component part or as something, which belongs to this programme necessarily,
but also inherently (i.e. a whole scale of positions is present from
“it must be” to “it would not be the same without it”). Therefore
it is difficult for many respondents to differentiate during the evaluation
the aspect of cooperation with the foreign partners from the content
of the project itself. In general, we may state that the transnational
cooperation influenced the project activities, implementation and outputs
most significantly there, where the successful and mastered projects
were concerned – it does not prove it would depend somehow on thematic
orientation of the project, on the types of the activities chosen for
the transnational cooperation, on type of the project or the type of
the bodies, which implemented the project. ...
... The transnational cooperation
is understood as an integral part of the projects – either as an obligatory
component part or as something, which belongs to this programme necessarily,
but also inherently (i.e. a whole scale of positions is present from
“it must be” to “it would not be the same without it”). Therefore
it is difficult for many respondents to differentiate during the evaluation
the aspect of cooperation with the foreign partners from the content
of the project itself. In general, we may state that the transnational
cooperation influenced the project activities, implementation and outputs
most significantly there, where the successful and mastered projects
were concerned – it does not prove it would depend somehow on thematic
orientation of the project, on the types of the activities chosen for
the transnational cooperation, on type of the project or the type of
the bodies, which implemented the project. ...
... The transnational cooperation
is understood as an integral part of the projects – either as an obligatory
component part or as something, which belongs to this programme necessarily,
but also inherently (i.e. a whole scale of positions is present from
“it must be” to “it would not be the same without it”). Therefore
it is difficult for many respondents to differentiate during the evaluation
the aspect of cooperation with the foreign partners from the content
of the project itself. In general, we may state that the transnational
cooperation influenced the project activities, implementation and outputs
most significantly there, where the successful and mastered projects
were concerned – it does not prove it would depend somehow on thematic
orientation of the project, on the types of the activities chosen for
the transnational cooperation, on type of the project or the type of
the bodies, which implemented the project. ...
... It is possible to follow
several basic cooperation tools, which are characteristic for different
project types. The projects, which are based above all on conferences
and presentations of work of the national partners in transnational
context, are organised and managed in a different way than the projects
based on workshops, short-term attachments or intensive work on preparation
of a particular product (joint research, development of know-how, of
new tools, joint innovation – the management is tighter, the transnational
cooperation is not disintegrated to such extent to partial tasks within
the question of the individual partners). ...
... Each of the mentioned
types of cooperation brings different effects. It resulted from the
results of the questionnaire investigation that the recipients had classified
in particular the transfer of practices and know-how, the development
of the partnership, joint development of methods and new tools and the
planning and management of the project itself as the key activities
for the project’s success. However, the complex results of the evaluation
have proved that the activities relating to the transnational cooperation
used most often in CZ do not have to belong necessarily to the most
suitable ones. ...
... This shortened classification
may serve as a good guidance for managerial decision-making bound to
the transnational cooperation, it means decision-making on the extent
of its formalisation, forms of contact, division of responsibility,
setting communication, harmonising / balancing of the content and chosen
forms, etc. ...
...
Short-term attachments
and exchanges, study visits: One of the
most frequent activities, which is evaluated very positively at the
same time, and high contribution to quality and success of the project
is attributed to it. The activity was most often aimed directly at the
employees of the bodies involved in the transnational cooperation, as
the case may be at the national partners’ representatives or at the
target groups’ representatives (e.g. clients of the services, employers
and the like.). The factors of success are suitable choice of the participants
and of the venue (programme of the activity), suitable timing, ability
to facilitate the relations and contacts established during the activity,
ability to assist further development of the acquired skills and experience,
ability to interconnect this activity with mainstreaming at the national
level and ability to utilise the participants’ skills in other activities
of the project. The factors of failure are orientation at the form instead
at the content, wrong estimation of motivation and of the participants’
needs and a too strict plan. ...
... It is then convenient
to choose the tools, forms and particular activities of the transnational
cooperation according to the content and objectives of the particular
partnership and according to the involved target groups generally already
in the preparatory stages of the project, as the case may be of the
development partnership. The bearer of this know-how in this future
comparable projects can be hardly anybody else than the national support
and managing structure. ...
... In these documented
and chosen cases it is suitable for the managing authority to keep or
to create the possibility to use the suitably selected support tools.
Above all the support to processes is concerned that could not have
been assumed within the framework of the projects and that result from
the current situation and the circumstances occurred. It is suitable
to search for the form of suitable covering of some mainstreaming activities,
which are in compliance with the national strategy and the selected
priorities. At the same time it is appropriate to search for a suitable
form and to select adequate transnational cooperation tools. In this
sense, two basic directions seem as possible, namely cooperation with
the respective commissions of the Council or with the groups of the
European Parliament members – according to the orientation on the
executive or the legislation, in the same way inside the individual
countries. ...
... Above all from the point
of view of the managing authority, complex work with the outputs of
the projects – including those arisen from the transnational cooperation
(grouping of the results across the topic, in ideal case also across
the resorts) – is then absolutely essential in the area of dissemination
and mainstreaming. In this sense the responsibility for sensitiveness
towards potential usability (and accessibility) of the project outputs
for fulfilment of the public policy priorities and for their formulation
is not transferable to another player. ...
... Guidebook for
the Transnational Cooperation of the Community Initiative EQUAL ...
... As regards the evaluations,
a scale of various evaluation tools, types of evaluations and also thematic
orientation of the evaluations is offered. It is necessary to know these
possibilities and to select them suitably with respect to the purpose
and expectations the valuation shall fulfil. In the transnational cooperation,
it is possible to assess partial project outputs and products arisen
and verified in the transnational partnership, when the assessment will
provide feedback either still in the course of the transnational cooperation
itself or for the consequential projects in the following calls through
the managing authorities and consultancy sources. After all, this is
the sense of monitoring and evaluation – dissemination of outputs from
the programme implementation. ...
... As regards the evaluations,
a scale of various evaluation tools, types of evaluations and also thematic
orientation of the evaluations is offered. It is necessary to know these
possibilities and to select them suitably with respect to the purpose
and expectations the valuation shall fulfil. In the transnational cooperation,
it is possible to assess partial project outputs and products arisen
and verified in the transnational partnership, when the assessment will
provide feedback either still in the course of the transnational cooperation
itself or for the consequential projects in the following calls through
the managing authorities and consultancy sources. After all, this is
the sense of monitoring and evaluation – dissemination of outputs from
the programme implementation. ...
... Joint monitoring and
joint evaluation at the level of several states would be a contribution
for success of mainstreaming since the transnational partnerships bear
a joint product, a service or a change that is necessary to be promoted
at the level where it came into existence, thus at the transnational
level, as the case may be to “raise” the outputs verified at the
local level to the European level. The transnational cooperation should
contribute to better utilisation of the monitoring outputs to more precise
and more multilateral evaluation. For this reason MA considers ensuring
the part of the monitoring process or drawing up at least some evaluation
studies on the basis of a joint activity of several member states. This
activity must build on a transnational, inter-governmental agreement
and specification of an assignment for monitoring or evaluation from
the position of the given group of countries. At the same time, the reasoning
is possible rather at the level of comparisons (of similarities or on
the contrary, of differences), in it how the individual accents in the priorities
of the thematic (intervention) areas in the given countries, in the
wider context of the European Employment Strategy, are stipulated. With
regard to the fact that such setting will most probably exceed the competencies
of the ministries, inter-governmental agreements would have to be concerned.
At the same time these agreements would have to stipulate the responsibilities
for system administration and sharing the costs connected with its development
and operation. ...
... Individual countries
create also monitoring and evaluation plans, e.g. “Northern Ireland
European Social Fund Programme 2007 – 2013” mentions in Chapter
4 Evaluation in paragraph 4.24 the evaluation strategy in the first
half of the programme: having carried out the substantial part of the
project activities to evaluate the contribution (added value) of the
programme to the strategic intentions of the EU, the Member State and
the region and, in particular the innovative, supranational and interregional
activities and horizontal themes. The evaluation strategy of the North
Irish ESF programme will be updated for the second half of the programme’s
duration in order to take account of the regional socio-economical and
political development. In the United Kingdom, the West Wales and the
Valleys Convergence Programme - Operational Programme for the ESF mentions
in Chapter 3 – Strategy, paragraph 3.131 that the managing authority
shall establish an independent Transnational Cooperation Unit to support
the programme activities. Then in Chapter 6 in paragraphs 6.40 – 6.42
the planning tool of the managing authority “Strategic Frameworks”
is described as an implementation strategy to achieve the strategic
objective by means of strategically interconnected project interventions.
These frameworks will serve in selection of the projects, they will
enable their comparison. Thus the managing authority will be able to
identify projects proposing transnational or interregional cooperation
already in the stage of submission and selection and to direct them
towards achieving of the programme objectives. It will be able to provide
them specific assistance also during the implementation and monitor
and evaluate them purposefully in cooperation with the Monitoring Committee.
The East Wales Regional Competitiveness & Employment Programme for
the ESF 2007–2013 is drawn up accordingly. Both these programmes will
thus be implemented, monitored and evaluated with the managing authority’s
active participation, without prejudice to the Monitoring Committee’s
power and responsibility. ...
... Management and implementation
of the transnational cooperation priority axis does not arise in vacuum,
it follows up with the previous experience in management of similar
programmes and it does not definitely assume that it will leave the
begun tradition completely. On the contrary, this is obviously the solution
to the basic question, the general problem connected with management
of any programmes: namely to what extent to set the rules and restrictions
in such a way that the exerted endeavour would really reflect in the
improved quality of the implemented projects. It appears that obviously
the surest answer is the link-up with the traditions, the implementing
entities’ expectations and the previous experience, from which this
results as a rule. The priority axis management must work necessarily
with the context of the Czech environment, thus with the relatively
low experience of the project implementing entities in transnational
partnerships and (sometimes) with the partnership at all, smaller stability
of institutions and weak links between the transnational and national
level of the partnership. In the countries that were included in the
evaluation, various measures were recommended and somewhere also implemented.
For example, creation of a special measure or a project at the programme
management level (not at the project level) was concerned, which will
facilitate the process of search for the partners and formation of the
transnational partnership; in some countries this type of measures is
implemented in the form recommendation of minimum extent of the partnership,
which countries to focus on when searching for partners (further to
the national strategies), which activities shall be strengthened (it
is generally recommended to limit generic activities that miss the concrete
content); somewhere this principle was transposed into formation of
a concrete physical institution, the mission of which is to support
transnational partnership in the projects in the given programme. A
recommendation to announce gradually successive calls, some of which
(or each) will focus specifically of the concrete priority area, geographical
territory or the types of activities, seems and an alternative to this
model. ...
6 DESCRIPTION OF THE COURSE OF EVALUATION ACCORDING TO INDIVIDUAL EVALUATION OUTPUTS [go to this article ]
... The evaluation commenced
with considerable delay, the data of handover of the interim reports
were slightly postponed but the date of the Final Report handover was
not postponed. This has lead to great pressure upon the evaluation time
schedule, a whole number of the implementation stages had to overlap
each other, the evaluation reports (in particular the Input Report and
the First Evaluation Report) were formulated as preliminary in many
aspects. Thus the outputs had to be supplemented with as special study
called “Study Focused on Support in Preparation of the Calls of OP
LZZ Transnational Cooperation Priority Axis”, output No. 4 of the
project. ...
6.1 Topic 1: Part of the study focused on the support in the preparation the first call of Priority axis Transnational Cooperation OP LZZ [go to this article ]
... Topic 1: Part of the study focused on the support in the preparation the first call of Priority axis Transnational Cooperation OP LZZ ...
... 2) “Study Focused
on Support in Preparation of the Calls of OP LZZ Transnational Cooperation
Priority Axis”, (8 July 2008), output No. 4 of the project. ...
... The original time schedule
of the project assumed that this part would be drawn up as the first
one and would be a part of the Input Report. Due to the overall shift
in commencement of the evaluation and procedure of successive works,
the framework introduction in the First Input Report was supplemented
by the document of July 2008. Above all, the first outputs from the
questionnaires and realized visits and interviews were used in it. Study
of documents and advices of people involved in CIP EQUAL management
abroad were used to great extent; background research of the available
sources was carried out, namely both of the documents concerning OP
LZZ and the given priority axis and also the related documents (in the
time of processing the task only a document from France was available),
methodologies to transnational cooperation in general and above all
the evaluations and good experience (what proved useful, how the transnational
cooperation actually proceeds). For the purpose of consideration of
the suitable areas of intervention and suitability of selection of the
partners, the evaluation team drew up a SWOT analysis based on the experience
from the partnership across countries, and summarises thus the specifics
of the environment, topics, conditions, cultural and historical tradition,
experience and potential for partnership with bodies from CZ. These
findings were transposed into relevant recommendations. The Third Interim
Report followed up with this process. ...
... The original time schedule
of the project assumed that this part would be drawn up as the first
one and would be a part of the Input Report. Due to the overall shift
in commencement of the evaluation and procedure of successive works,
the framework introduction in the First Input Report was supplemented
by the document of July 2008. Above all, the first outputs from the
questionnaires and realized visits and interviews were used in it. Study
of documents and advices of people involved in CIP EQUAL management
abroad were used to great extent; background research of the available
sources was carried out, namely both of the documents concerning OP
LZZ and the given priority axis and also the related documents (in the
time of processing the task only a document from France was available),
methodologies to transnational cooperation in general and above all
the evaluations and good experience (what proved useful, how the transnational
cooperation actually proceeds). For the purpose of consideration of
the suitable areas of intervention and suitability of selection of the
partners, the evaluation team drew up a SWOT analysis based on the experience
from the partnership across countries, and summarises thus the specifics
of the environment, topics, conditions, cultural and historical tradition,
experience and potential for partnership with bodies from CZ. These
findings were transposed into relevant recommendations. The Third Interim
Report followed up with this process. ...
... The preparatory stage,
above all the strategy of selection of partners and preciseness of the
planning process has the biggest influence on success of the project.
It is necessary to make maximum effective use of the available information
and experience for identification of suitable partners, to give sufficient
time to negotiating and to plan the course and outputs of the transnational
cooperation carefully. In this stage, MA could help with search for
contacts and above all of further information on partners, including
more detailed information on the situation in the given country with
regard to content and orientation of the project. It is important for
the whole preparatory period to be used really effectively. The condition
of effective utilisation of this period is, at its beginning, the availability
of all the necessary documents and functionality of organisational background
of the support structure. The recipient should enter the preparatory
stage already with completely clarified content and sense of the project,
expectations, involvement of partners and the like. ...
... b) Involvement of
national partners in the transnational cooperation ...
... Involvement of the partners
and cooperation of the partners in each of the countries are essential.
The point is whether the recipient or another designated partner ensures
the transnational element as one “concrete” overlap of the project
in the given country or if all partners or at least more partners from
the given country partake in the transnational cooperation. In addition
to this partnership, the project should create mechanisms for involvement
of the institutions, target groups and important players outside the
formal partnership within the framework of the project. This is essential
for dissemination of the outputs, their putting into practice, influencing
policies and practice and the overall “project background”. The
project implementing entities must receive fast feedbacks and react
to current situations of the “project background”, be in contact
with these groups and, if possible, involve them in these solutions
already in the time of the preparation. ...
... A significant requirement
to MA relates to this, namely to assist the projects in mainstreaming,
thus to find and hand over suitable contacts, to help with lobbying,
to assist in dissemination of outputs, namely both at the national and
international level. MA should become a partner to projects, not only
an administrator, it should introduce the outputs of the projects to
the political scene and lobby for them. A frequent rebuke was the administrative
burden; the majority of the respondents agree that at least one or two
full-time jobs are necessary to be earmarked purely for the administration.
Everyone recommends earmarking of one special person for the transnational
cooperation itself. In the self-evaluating statements on the experience
in the transnational cooperation management and implementation in the
CIP EQUAL projects, the accent on the administration of the projects
prevails, the representatives of the solving entities construe their
contingent failure above all as failure of the administration. However,
in the implementation and mainstreaming stage it is necessary for the
partners to be able to agree not only upon the form and practical form
of the project management, but also upon the content of the implementation
of the project itself, the methods of work being used, quality of the
outputs, involvement of various groups of people and bodies, etc. On
the other hand, it is necessary to have sufficient space for the work
on the project itself for it is not possible to plan innovations in
advance, practical solutions come into existence only in the course
of the project. If it is possible within the framework of the rules,
MA should assist in modifications in plans and financing of the projects
at the most, it should become a support, an advisor, take away the administrative
burdens of the projects to the maximum possible extent defined by the
programme rules. ...
... A significant requirement
to MA relates to this, namely to assist the projects in mainstreaming,
thus to find and hand over suitable contacts, to help with lobbying,
to assist in dissemination of outputs, namely both at the national and
international level. MA should become a partner to projects, not only
an administrator, it should introduce the outputs of the projects to
the political scene and lobby for them. A frequent rebuke was the administrative
burden; the majority of the respondents agree that at least one or two
full-time jobs are necessary to be earmarked purely for the administration.
Everyone recommends earmarking of one special person for the transnational
cooperation itself. In the self-evaluating statements on the experience
in the transnational cooperation management and implementation in the
CIP EQUAL projects, the accent on the administration of the projects
prevails, the representatives of the solving entities construe their
contingent failure above all as failure of the administration. However,
in the implementation and mainstreaming stage it is necessary for the
partners to be able to agree not only upon the form and practical form
of the project management, but also upon the content of the implementation
of the project itself, the methods of work being used, quality of the
outputs, involvement of various groups of people and bodies, etc. On
the other hand, it is necessary to have sufficient space for the work
on the project itself for it is not possible to plan innovations in
advance, practical solutions come into existence only in the course
of the project. If it is possible within the framework of the rules,
MA should assist in modifications in plans and financing of the projects
at the most, it should become a support, an advisor, take away the administrative
burdens of the projects to the maximum possible extent defined by the
programme rules. ...
... The way, in which the
transnational cooperation influenced the outputs from the projects most
frequently, which documents it came from; what types of supported projects,
what activities, types of support and in which stages were successful. ...
6.3 Topic 3: Part of the study focused on the assessment of the work of DP supported in other EU Member States [go to this article ]
... The way, in which the
transnational cooperation most frequently influenced the outputs of
the projects, differences among conditions in the individual states,
the outputs that were influenced thanks to the possibility to cooperate
with transnational partners, types of support, documents. ...
6.4 Topic 4: Analysis of the specific aspects and the added value of the ESF projects based on the support of transnational cooperation [go to this article ]
... Topic 4: Analysis of the specific aspects and the added value of the ESF projects based on the support of transnational cooperation ...
... Added value of the transnational
cooperation and its connexion with higher financial intensity; structure
of expenses, eligibility and specific demands ...
6.5 Topic 5: Analysis of interesting approaches and specific areas of HRD in other EU countries [go to this article ]
... The First Interim Report
(30 June 2008), i.e. output No. 2 of the project, and the Study Focused
on Support in Preparation of the Calls of OP LZZ Transnational Cooperation
Priority Axis, (8 July 2008), i.e. the special, additionally requested
output No. 4, and complete results of the questionnaire investigation
mentioned in the Second Interim Report (5 August 2008) ...
... The transnational cooperation
was an obligatory part CIP EQUAL and a number of the participating organisations
would not have included it in their projects on their own. The investigation
has proved that the participating bodies in absolute majority have gradually
begun to perceive it as a component part of the programme as a whole.
Often, in spite of the initial disbelief and low expectations, they
evaluate it as a very valuable and unexpectedly rewarding
part. In a wide scale of concrete contributions it is possible to find
a common denominator: it is widening of the views, or in general “the
experience”, widening of the context of thinking, perception, attitudes,
behaviour, solutions and further significant knowledge that the problems
the given organisations deal with have European dimension and solution. ...
... The most significant
factors influencing efficiency and success of the transnational cooperation
seem to be, according to the results of the evaluation, compliance /
sharing the project objectives among partners, selection of the partner
and the innovation rate of the concrete project. Above all, thanks to
this fact the preparatory and the initial stages of the project, which
consequently have the principal impact on the whole implementation,
seem essential for the success of the development partnership. In this
respect, also the cooperation with the managing authority and the quality
of its support is mentioned as the key factors, too. ...
... Analysis of the specific
aspects and of the added value of the ESF projects based on the support
of transnational cooperation was elaborated in more details in the First
Interim Report and the account of its outputs were taken in this Final
Report in particular in concrete recommendations relating to implementation
of the projects with transnational aspect. The analysis has arrived
at the conclusion that 1) the projects containing the transnational
cooperation require longer time at the preparation, which must be planned
carefully at the same time whereas this plan should eliminate later
modifications of the transnational agreement, however, at the same time
it shall be possible to modify the original plan according to the needs
that will occur only from the implementation of the project itself;
2) the added value of the transnational cooperation is in particular
the possibility to take over, as the case may be explore various approaches
to solution of the given problem, which however requires the knowledge
of the context in the given countries (whether the transferability of
these solutions is possible at all), as the case may be accentuation
of the needs of the Czech party, thus an active role of the Czech partners
when searching for a solution and its verification in practice (raising
agendas, not their takeover), further the added value consists above
all in increased knowledge capacities of the project implementing entities,
strengthening of the negotiating position in mainstreaming and dissemination
of the results and enlarging the partnership networks by European level;
and 3) the project implementing entities and the support to implementation
of the projects must take account of the differences among the individual
EU Member States occurring in the are of eligibility of expenses, language
knowledge, terminology and timing of the projects (if the transnational
partnership is to be based on concrete projects, then it is very
breakable at the moment when these projects do not terminate at the
same time). The recommendations mentioned in Chapter 7 come out from
these findings, while the issue of sustainability is a specific area:
if the transnational cooperation has a project basis, then already at
the beginning of planning the aid the account must be taken on how the
transnational outputs, as the case may be the transnational overlaps
of the projects will be maintained after their termination for most
of the organisations as a rule do not have capacities to develop further
the transnational cooperation and its results without the project support.
For this reason also one of the recommendations aims at considering
of a systemic support to transnational mainstreaming from the position
of the managing authority. ...
... Analysis of the specific
aspects and of the added value of the ESF projects based on the support
of transnational cooperation was elaborated in more details in the First
Interim Report and the account of its outputs were taken in this Final
Report in particular in concrete recommendations relating to implementation
of the projects with transnational aspect. The analysis has arrived
at the conclusion that 1) the projects containing the transnational
cooperation require longer time at the preparation, which must be planned
carefully at the same time whereas this plan should eliminate later
modifications of the transnational agreement, however, at the same time
it shall be possible to modify the original plan according to the needs
that will occur only from the implementation of the project itself;
2) the added value of the transnational cooperation is in particular
the possibility to take over, as the case may be explore various approaches
to solution of the given problem, which however requires the knowledge
of the context in the given countries (whether the transferability of
these solutions is possible at all), as the case may be accentuation
of the needs of the Czech party, thus an active role of the Czech partners
when searching for a solution and its verification in practice (raising
agendas, not their takeover), further the added value consists above
all in increased knowledge capacities of the project implementing entities,
strengthening of the negotiating position in mainstreaming and dissemination
of the results and enlarging the partnership networks by European level;
and 3) the project implementing entities and the support to implementation
of the projects must take account of the differences among the individual
EU Member States occurring in the are of eligibility of expenses, language
knowledge, terminology and timing of the projects (if the transnational
partnership is to be based on concrete projects, then it is very
breakable at the moment when these projects do not terminate at the
same time). The recommendations mentioned in Chapter 7 come out from
these findings, while the issue of sustainability is a specific area:
if the transnational cooperation has a project basis, then already at
the beginning of planning the aid the account must be taken on how the
transnational outputs, as the case may be the transnational overlaps
of the projects will be maintained after their termination for most
of the organisations as a rule do not have capacities to develop further
the transnational cooperation and its results without the project support.
For this reason also one of the recommendations aims at considering
of a systemic support to transnational mainstreaming from the position
of the managing authority. ...
... Analysis of the specific
aspects and of the added value of the ESF projects based on the support
of transnational cooperation was elaborated in more details in the First
Interim Report and the account of its outputs were taken in this Final
Report in particular in concrete recommendations relating to implementation
of the projects with transnational aspect. The analysis has arrived
at the conclusion that 1) the projects containing the transnational
cooperation require longer time at the preparation, which must be planned
carefully at the same time whereas this plan should eliminate later
modifications of the transnational agreement, however, at the same time
it shall be possible to modify the original plan according to the needs
that will occur only from the implementation of the project itself;
2) the added value of the transnational cooperation is in particular
the possibility to take over, as the case may be explore various approaches
to solution of the given problem, which however requires the knowledge
of the context in the given countries (whether the transferability of
these solutions is possible at all), as the case may be accentuation
of the needs of the Czech party, thus an active role of the Czech partners
when searching for a solution and its verification in practice (raising
agendas, not their takeover), further the added value consists above
all in increased knowledge capacities of the project implementing entities,
strengthening of the negotiating position in mainstreaming and dissemination
of the results and enlarging the partnership networks by European level;
and 3) the project implementing entities and the support to implementation
of the projects must take account of the differences among the individual
EU Member States occurring in the are of eligibility of expenses, language
knowledge, terminology and timing of the projects (if the transnational
partnership is to be based on concrete projects, then it is very
breakable at the moment when these projects do not terminate at the
same time). The recommendations mentioned in Chapter 7 come out from
these findings, while the issue of sustainability is a specific area:
if the transnational cooperation has a project basis, then already at
the beginning of planning the aid the account must be taken on how the
transnational outputs, as the case may be the transnational overlaps
of the projects will be maintained after their termination for most
of the organisations as a rule do not have capacities to develop further
the transnational cooperation and its results without the project support.
For this reason also one of the recommendations aims at considering
of a systemic support to transnational mainstreaming from the position
of the managing authority. ...
... Analysis of the specific
aspects and of the added value of the ESF projects based on the support
of transnational cooperation was elaborated in more details in the First
Interim Report and the account of its outputs were taken in this Final
Report in particular in concrete recommendations relating to implementation
of the projects with transnational aspect. The analysis has arrived
at the conclusion that 1) the projects containing the transnational
cooperation require longer time at the preparation, which must be planned
carefully at the same time whereas this plan should eliminate later
modifications of the transnational agreement, however, at the same time
it shall be possible to modify the original plan according to the needs
that will occur only from the implementation of the project itself;
2) the added value of the transnational cooperation is in particular
the possibility to take over, as the case may be explore various approaches
to solution of the given problem, which however requires the knowledge
of the context in the given countries (whether the transferability of
these solutions is possible at all), as the case may be accentuation
of the needs of the Czech party, thus an active role of the Czech partners
when searching for a solution and its verification in practice (raising
agendas, not their takeover), further the added value consists above
all in increased knowledge capacities of the project implementing entities,
strengthening of the negotiating position in mainstreaming and dissemination
of the results and enlarging the partnership networks by European level;
and 3) the project implementing entities and the support to implementation
of the projects must take account of the differences among the individual
EU Member States occurring in the are of eligibility of expenses, language
knowledge, terminology and timing of the projects (if the transnational
partnership is to be based on concrete projects, then it is very
breakable at the moment when these projects do not terminate at the
same time). The recommendations mentioned in Chapter 7 come out from
these findings, while the issue of sustainability is a specific area:
if the transnational cooperation has a project basis, then already at
the beginning of planning the aid the account must be taken on how the
transnational outputs, as the case may be the transnational overlaps
of the projects will be maintained after their termination for most
of the organisations as a rule do not have capacities to develop further
the transnational cooperation and its results without the project support.
For this reason also one of the recommendations aims at considering
of a systemic support to transnational mainstreaming from the position
of the managing authority. ...
... Analysis of the specific
aspects and of the added value of the ESF projects based on the support
of transnational cooperation was elaborated in more details in the First
Interim Report and the account of its outputs were taken in this Final
Report in particular in concrete recommendations relating to implementation
of the projects with transnational aspect. The analysis has arrived
at the conclusion that 1) the projects containing the transnational
cooperation require longer time at the preparation, which must be planned
carefully at the same time whereas this plan should eliminate later
modifications of the transnational agreement, however, at the same time
it shall be possible to modify the original plan according to the needs
that will occur only from the implementation of the project itself;
2) the added value of the transnational cooperation is in particular
the possibility to take over, as the case may be explore various approaches
to solution of the given problem, which however requires the knowledge
of the context in the given countries (whether the transferability of
these solutions is possible at all), as the case may be accentuation
of the needs of the Czech party, thus an active role of the Czech partners
when searching for a solution and its verification in practice (raising
agendas, not their takeover), further the added value consists above
all in increased knowledge capacities of the project implementing entities,
strengthening of the negotiating position in mainstreaming and dissemination
of the results and enlarging the partnership networks by European level;
and 3) the project implementing entities and the support to implementation
of the projects must take account of the differences among the individual
EU Member States occurring in the are of eligibility of expenses, language
knowledge, terminology and timing of the projects (if the transnational
partnership is to be based on concrete projects, then it is very
breakable at the moment when these projects do not terminate at the
same time). The recommendations mentioned in Chapter 7 come out from
these findings, while the issue of sustainability is a specific area:
if the transnational cooperation has a project basis, then already at
the beginning of planning the aid the account must be taken on how the
transnational outputs, as the case may be the transnational overlaps
of the projects will be maintained after their termination for most
of the organisations as a rule do not have capacities to develop further
the transnational cooperation and its results without the project support.
For this reason also one of the recommendations aims at considering
of a systemic support to transnational mainstreaming from the position
of the managing authority. ...
... A specific part of the
study answered also the question of relevant HRD areas, on which it
would be desirable to focus the projects implemented in the form of
transnational cooperation in the following programming period. In the
time of processing this part of the evaluation only a call from France
for projects in transnational cooperation, strategic documents of HRD
and related areas from ten EU countries included in this evaluation
(see the list of sources in the annex hereto) and evaluation reports
concerning this topic from Poland and Austria were available. The evaluation
team was coming out from the findings from the evaluation visits, study
of documents and expert recommendations. While some countries have the
orientation of the transnational cooperation in HDR defined according
to the appropriate strategic documents thematically (if ever), other
countries prefer regional orientation (less frequent case). For this
reason the expert team combined both approaches and to do so it used
the SWOT method, thus it divided the analysis according to individual
countries and specified further the topics, which are recommended for
cooperation with the given country. However, the SWOT analysis defined
also a wider context, in which these topics come into question for Czech
organisations and identified risks connected with it. In any case it
is necessary to point out that these topics are secondary ones; really
primary is what was broken down in the First Interim Report in more
details, thus success in negotiating and planning of the partnership,
equilibrium of the partners, understanding and sharing joint objectives
and values. The topics we have singled out for the orientation of the
HRD projects implemented in the form of transnational cooperation are
the following ones: social economy and entrepreneurship (IT, PT), employment
services and advanced vocational training (UK, AT, FR), community development,
local partnership and wider partnership networks (UK, NL), social area,
inclusion and inclusion strategies (NL, DE, FR, UK, ES), research (HU,
PL, DE), Public Private Partnership and intersectoral cooperation (DE),
industry restructuring (ES), tourist industry (ES), cultural heritage
(ES, FR and the like). ...
... A specific part of the
study answered also the question of relevant HRD areas, on which it
would be desirable to focus the projects implemented in the form of
transnational cooperation in the following programming period. In the
time of processing this part of the evaluation only a call from France
for projects in transnational cooperation, strategic documents of HRD
and related areas from ten EU countries included in this evaluation
(see the list of sources in the annex hereto) and evaluation reports
concerning this topic from Poland and Austria were available. The evaluation
team was coming out from the findings from the evaluation visits, study
of documents and expert recommendations. While some countries have the
orientation of the transnational cooperation in HDR defined according
to the appropriate strategic documents thematically (if ever), other
countries prefer regional orientation (less frequent case). For this
reason the expert team combined both approaches and to do so it used
the SWOT method, thus it divided the analysis according to individual
countries and specified further the topics, which are recommended for
cooperation with the given country. However, the SWOT analysis defined
also a wider context, in which these topics come into question for Czech
organisations and identified risks connected with it. In any case it
is necessary to point out that these topics are secondary ones; really
primary is what was broken down in the First Interim Report in more
details, thus success in negotiating and planning of the partnership,
equilibrium of the partners, understanding and sharing joint objectives
and values. The topics we have singled out for the orientation of the
HRD projects implemented in the form of transnational cooperation are
the following ones: social economy and entrepreneurship (IT, PT), employment
services and advanced vocational training (UK, AT, FR), community development,
local partnership and wider partnership networks (UK, NL), social area,
inclusion and inclusion strategies (NL, DE, FR, UK, ES), research (HU,
PL, DE), Public Private Partnership and intersectoral cooperation (DE),
industry restructuring (ES), tourist industry (ES), cultural heritage
(ES, FR and the like). ...
... A specific part of the
study answered also the question of relevant HRD areas, on which it
would be desirable to focus the projects implemented in the form of
transnational cooperation in the following programming period. In the
time of processing this part of the evaluation only a call from France
for projects in transnational cooperation, strategic documents of HRD
and related areas from ten EU countries included in this evaluation
(see the list of sources in the annex hereto) and evaluation reports
concerning this topic from Poland and Austria were available. The evaluation
team was coming out from the findings from the evaluation visits, study
of documents and expert recommendations. While some countries have the
orientation of the transnational cooperation in HDR defined according
to the appropriate strategic documents thematically (if ever), other
countries prefer regional orientation (less frequent case). For this
reason the expert team combined both approaches and to do so it used
the SWOT method, thus it divided the analysis according to individual
countries and specified further the topics, which are recommended for
cooperation with the given country. However, the SWOT analysis defined
also a wider context, in which these topics come into question for Czech
organisations and identified risks connected with it. In any case it
is necessary to point out that these topics are secondary ones; really
primary is what was broken down in the First Interim Report in more
details, thus success in negotiating and planning of the partnership,
equilibrium of the partners, understanding and sharing joint objectives
and values. The topics we have singled out for the orientation of the
HRD projects implemented in the form of transnational cooperation are
the following ones: social economy and entrepreneurship (IT, PT), employment
services and advanced vocational training (UK, AT, FR), community development,
local partnership and wider partnership networks (UK, NL), social area,
inclusion and inclusion strategies (NL, DE, FR, UK, ES), research (HU,
PL, DE), Public Private Partnership and intersectoral cooperation (DE),
industry restructuring (ES), tourist industry (ES), cultural heritage
(ES, FR and the like). ...
... A specific part of the
study answered also the question of relevant HRD areas, on which it
would be desirable to focus the projects implemented in the form of
transnational cooperation in the following programming period. In the
time of processing this part of the evaluation only a call from France
for projects in transnational cooperation, strategic documents of HRD
and related areas from ten EU countries included in this evaluation
(see the list of sources in the annex hereto) and evaluation reports
concerning this topic from Poland and Austria were available. The evaluation
team was coming out from the findings from the evaluation visits, study
of documents and expert recommendations. While some countries have the
orientation of the transnational cooperation in HDR defined according
to the appropriate strategic documents thematically (if ever), other
countries prefer regional orientation (less frequent case). For this
reason the expert team combined both approaches and to do so it used
the SWOT method, thus it divided the analysis according to individual
countries and specified further the topics, which are recommended for
cooperation with the given country. However, the SWOT analysis defined
also a wider context, in which these topics come into question for Czech
organisations and identified risks connected with it. In any case it
is necessary to point out that these topics are secondary ones; really
primary is what was broken down in the First Interim Report in more
details, thus success in negotiating and planning of the partnership,
equilibrium of the partners, understanding and sharing joint objectives
and values. The topics we have singled out for the orientation of the
HRD projects implemented in the form of transnational cooperation are
the following ones: social economy and entrepreneurship (IT, PT), employment
services and advanced vocational training (UK, AT, FR), community development,
local partnership and wider partnership networks (UK, NL), social area,
inclusion and inclusion strategies (NL, DE, FR, UK, ES), research (HU,
PL, DE), Public Private Partnership and intersectoral cooperation (DE),
industry restructuring (ES), tourist industry (ES), cultural heritage
(ES, FR and the like). ...
6.6 Topic 6: Part of the study focused on the synthesis of the findings from previous parts of the study (part 1) [go to this article ]
... As regards the financial
means intended for the transnational cooperation, the problem does not
consist in their amount or availability, but it appears rather then
when the project is more open to modifications and innovations and reacts
to the requirements arisen only in its course. It results from the evaluation
that the high administrative burden may cause threat to the project,
namely not for the reason of high financial intensity, but for the reason
of strong dependence of the projects on concrete implementing entities,
concrete persons in the project’s management; this concerns also the
transnational cooperation. ...
... As regards the financial
means intended for the transnational cooperation, the problem does not
consist in their amount or availability, but it appears rather then
when the project is more open to modifications and innovations and reacts
to the requirements arisen only in its course. It results from the evaluation
that the high administrative burden may cause threat to the project,
namely not for the reason of high financial intensity, but for the reason
of strong dependence of the projects on concrete implementing entities,
concrete persons in the project’s management; this concerns also the
transnational cooperation. ...
... We understand the question,
in which way it would be possible, from the part of the programme managing
authority, to prevent or at least to minimise the found negative factors,
at two levels: 1) the concrete steps related to the roles of the managing
and support structure, costs for the transnational cooperation, length
of the preparatory period, created information tools are concerned,
and 2) the point is, which new or innovated tools concerning both the
obligatory structure (terms and conditions) and the auxiliary structure
for the projects MA can create. ...
... Transnational cooperation preparation ...
... To have an own idea and objectives
what I want to achieve by the transnational cooperation in the project; ...
... Transnational cooperation administration and management ...
... To choose in the way of involvement
of the national partners in the transnational cooperation in advance. ...
7.2.1 Role within the framework of the programme and relations to other actors [go to this article ]
... With regard to the fact that
from the essence of the transnational cooperation contact with partners
from other countries results, the programme management should, to the
maximum possible extent, harmonise the rules so that these might not
collide directly with the rules in other countries, this relates above
all to eligibility of expenses and conditions of partnership (partnership
agreements). ...
7.2.2 Formulation of expected outputs and results of the transnational cooperation [go to this article ]
... Formulation of expected outputs and results of the transnational cooperation ...
... The assistance for the applicants
must be available, of high quality and understandable during the whole
period when a TCA is being negotiated and established. Besides that,
it is of course necessary to have available good methodological aids
for preparation of the applications, well-drafted calls, consultancy
assistance from the part of the managing authorities. As regards the
transnational cooperation, it is necessary to accentuate specifically
the process of a partnership preparation and the importance of the partnership
agreement, as the case may be, of a covenant on how and under what terms
and conditions a partnership will operate. ...
... Transnational cooperation administration and management ...
... Contingent transnational
solving of monitoring and evaluation must be built on transnational
cooperation at the level of the managing authorities and specification
of the assignment for monitoring/evaluation from the position of the
given group of countries, namely at the level of comparisons (of similarities
or, on the contrary, of differences) in it how the individual accents
are defined in the priorities of the thematic (intervention) areas in
the given countries, in a wider context of the European Employment Strategy.
Setting of such cooperation must come out from agreements that will
define competencies of the individual actors, responsibility for system
administration and sharing costs connected with its development and
operation. ...
... First of all, an overall
problem related to “project financing” of significant part of the
bodies that are the recipients of the programmes (among others CIP EQUAL)
is concerned. Nobody casts doubts that after the termination of the
projects oriented at transnational cooperation it is suitable to make
further use of such outputs or results that are in compliance with strategy
of the given body, which considers their utilisation. Formally, the
responsibility of the body is indisputably concerned that has created
these tools and that started the implementation and mainstreaming processes
within the framework of the project, but the question, what the roles
of the other interested bodies are, is legitimate. ...